Bengal Bypolls: BJP, TMC Face Off in Nandigram and Rejinagar
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Kolkata,Sept 15: The upcoming by-elections in West Bengal’s Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies have turned into an important early electoral test for the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), with both parties seeking to consolidate their positions after the dramatic political changes in the state.
The Congress has also declined a TMC proposal for a seat-sharing arrangement under which the parties would have supported each other in Nandigram and Rejinagar. This means the anti-BJP vote could face further division.
For the BJP, retaining Nandigram would reinforce its claim that its 2026 Assembly victory represents a deeper political realignment rather than a temporary electoral shift. For the TMC, the bypolls provide an opportunity to demonstrate that it can recover ground despite its organisational troubles.
The results will therefore be watched not merely as two individual by-elections but as an early indication of how Bengal's new BJP-TMC political contest is taking shape.
Polling in the two constituencies is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9. The Nandigram seat was vacated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari after he chose to retain Bhabanipur, while Rejinagar fell vacant after Humayun Kabir also retained another seat.
The BJP has nominated Hasirani Rath from Nandigram. She is the mother of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of Adhikari who was killed shortly after the 2026 Assembly election. The BJP's choice gives the contest an emotional and political dimension, with the party expected to focus on issues of political violence and the protection of its workers.
BJP has fielded the mother of Chandrarath, the late former PA of Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram. And In Rejinagar, BJP has fielded Sakharav Sarkar, a fighting Hindu leader.
— Soumik Sarkar (@sarkar28922) September 15, 2026
Nandigram is 100% certain. In Rejinagar, 65% of the voters are Muslim. Whether we can win Rejinagar or not… pic.twitter.com/3guIPu0ACi
Nandigram is particularly significant for the BJP because of its political history. Suvendu Adhikari had defeated Mamata Banerjee there in 2021, turning the constituency into one of the most closely watched political battlegrounds in Bengal. The BJP will now seek to retain the seat and demonstrate that the Adhikari factor remains electorally relevant.
The TMC, meanwhile, is facing an unusual organisational challenge. Two rival factions are claiming the party name and election symbol, with the Election Commission examining their competing claims. The dispute has complicated the party's preparations for the bypolls.
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For the BJP, retaining Nandigram would reinforce its claim that its 2026 Assembly victory represents a deeper political realignment rather than a temporary electoral shift. For the TMC, the bypolls provide an opportunity to demonstrate that it can recover ground despite its organisational troubles.
The results will therefore be watched not merely as two individual by-elections but as an early indication of how Bengal's new BJP-TMC political contest is taking shape.