Archive · 11 Oct 2026
BJP Sweeps Bengal By-Polls, Retaining Nandigram and Winning Rejinagar
The BJP won both by-elections in West Bengal.
Hasirani Rath won in Nandigram by a very large margin against Congress candidate Milan Pradhan.
In Rejinagar, Shankharavh Sarkar defeated Golam Nabi Azad.
The seats became vacant after Suvendu Adhikari and Humayun Kabir gave them up to keep other seats.
Rath is the mother of Chandranath Rath, who was killed in May, according to one report.
The Trinamool Congress factions received very small vote shares in Rejinagar, while the Congress finished second in Nandigram.
Opposition parties said there were problems with the polling and asked for new votes.
The BJP denied those claims.
After the wins, the BJP held 209 seats in the state Assembly, according to the reports.
The BJP retained Nandigram, where Hasirani (Hasi Rani) Rath defeated Congress candidate Milan Pradhan by 1,22,753 votes.
Rath received 1,64,427 votes; Pradhan received 41,674, and CPI candidate Santi Gopal Giri finished third with 5,779.
In Rejinagar, BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar defeated Aam Janata Unnayan Party candidate Golam Nabi Azad by 75,816 votes.
The by-elections followed Suvendu Adhikari vacating Nandigram and Humayun Kabir resigning from Rejinagar to retain Naoda; polling took place on 6 October.
The BJP’s Assembly tally rose to 209; opposition parties alleged polling irregularities and sought repolls, while the BJP rejected the allegations.
- Who
- BJP candidates Hasirani (Hasi Rani) Rath and Shankharavh Sarkar won; their principal rivals were Milan Pradhan and Golam Nabi Azad.
- What
- The BJP retained Nandigram and won Rejinagar in Assembly by-elections.
- When
- Polling was held on 6 October, and results were declared on Friday.
- Where
- Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district, West Bengal.
- Why
- The seats became vacant after Suvendu Adhikari vacated Nandigram and Humayun Kabir resigned from Rejinagar to retain Naoda.
Opposition parties
BJP
Polling conduct
Opposition parties
The Congress and other opposition parties alleged booth capturing, intimidation of workers and polling irregularities, and demanded repolls in both constituencies.
BJP
The BJP rejected the allegations.
- Nandigram winner
- Hasirani (Hasi Rani) Rath, BJP
- Nandigram result
- Rath won by 1,22,753 votes; she received 1,64,427 votes and Milan Pradhan received 41,674.
- Rejinagar winner
- Shankharavh Sarkar, BJP
- Rejinagar result
- Sarkar defeated Golam Nabi Azad by 75,816 votes and received 1,29,914 votes.
- Assembly tally
- The BJP’s tally rose to 209 in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly.
- Polling date
- 6 October.
- Disputed polling
- Opposition parties alleged booth capturing, intimidation and irregularities, and called for repolls; the BJP rejected the allegations.
