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BJP Retains Nandigram Seat Amid Opposition Claims of Rigging
The BJP won a special election for the Nandigram Assembly seat by a very large margin.
Hasi Rani Rath was the BJP candidate.
The Congress candidate came second, and the CPI candidate came third.
The seat was open because Suvendu Adhikari had resigned from it.
The Congress received more votes than it had in the May election.
BJP leaders said many minority voters backed their party.
Congress and Left leaders said the election involved vote-rigging.
Congress also said some of its workers were attacked after the results were announced.
The BJP retained the Nandigram Assembly seat in a by-election held on October 6, winning by about 1.22 lakh votes.
BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath received 164,427 votes; Congress candidate Milan Pradhan received 41,674, and CPI candidate Shanti Gopal Giri received 5,779.
The seat became vacant after Suvendu Adhikari resigned, having retained the Bhabanipur Assembly seat.
The Congress improved its vote share compared with the May election, when it received fewer than 1,000 votes; no AITC candidate contested.
The BJP said minority voters supported it, while Congress and the Left alleged vote-rigging; Congress also reported attacks on party workers after the result.
- Who
- The BJP, Congress and CPI contested; BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath won.
- What
- The BJP retained the Nandigram Assembly seat in a by-election by about 1.22 lakh votes.
- Where
- Nandigram, West Bengal, India.
- When
- The by-election was held on October 6; the article describes the result as declared on Friday.
- Why
- The seat fell vacant after Suvendu Adhikari resigned from it.
Opposition Allegations
BJP Claims
Whether the vote was fairly conducted
Opposition Allegations
Congress and the Left called the result a black day for democracy and alleged that the BJP looted votes through massive rigging.
BJP Claims
Suvendu Adhikari said the by-election was violence-free and attributed the result to voters supporting the BJP.
Minority support for the BJP
Opposition Allegations
The Opposition criticized the BJP and alleged election misconduct; the article does not provide an independent breakdown of minority voting.
BJP Claims
The BJP claimed that a large section of Muslim voters supported it; Suvendu said the party received 80 per cent of minority votes in Nandigram.
Alleged attacks after the result
Opposition Allegations
Congress candidate Milan Pradhan and polling agent Soumen Samanta alleged that BJP workers attacked party workers after the results were declared.
BJP Claims
The article reports no BJP response to these specific allegations.
Key facts
- Winning party
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Winning candidate
- Hasi Rani Rath
- BJP votes
- 164,427
- Congress votes
- 41,674
- CPI votes
- 5,779
- Reported winning margin
- About 1.22 lakh votes
- Election date
- October 6
- AITC candidate
- No AITC candidate contested
Quotes
Suvendu Adhikari
BJP leader who appealed to voters and commented on the bypoll result.
“They were told that if the BJP comes to power, they will be sent to Bangladesh. They were also told that they won't be able to practice their religion once the BJP comes to power in Bengal. As they saw that none of these happened, they came forward to support us.”
telegraphindia.com
“It is a black day for democracy. First the BJP goons looted the votes and then attacked the workers of our party following declaration of results.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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