Nandigram bypoll: BJP's Hasirani Rath may beat Adhikari's 2016 margin, says Bengal CM
Synopsis
Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari arrived at the Nandigram polling booth on a toto — no convoy, no security — and predicted BJP's Hasirani Rath will beat his own 80,000-plus margin from 2016. The bypoll is a direct political test of BJP's grip on the seat that ended Mamata Banerjee's unbroken run of victories.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari predicted on 6 October 2026 that BJP candidate Hasirani Rath will surpass his 80,000-vote margin in the Nandigram bypoll.
Adhikari won Nandigram in 2016 as a TMC candidate by over 80,000 votes , then defeated Mamata Banerjee there in 2021 as a BJP candidate.
He arrived at the polling booth on a toto without his convoy, calling himself a 'common voter' of Nandigram.
Turnout in Nandigram was described as unusually high for a bypoll, which Adhikari called a democratic endorsement.
AJUP legislator Humayun Kabir was arrested at Rejinagar in Murshidabad for allegedly moving between booths to influence voters.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, predicted that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Hasirani Rath will surpass his own 80,000-plus victory margin in the Nandigram Assembly Constituency bypoll — the same seat from which he was first elected in 2016 as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate. Adhikari made the remarks after casting his vote at a polling booth in Nandigram, arriving without his official convoy on a toto, a battery-operated three-wheeler.
Adhikari's Prediction and What Is at Stake
"I got elected from here in 2016 by a margin of over 80,000. I believe that the winning margin of the BJP candidate in the Nandigram bypolls will surpass my own winning margin in 2016," Adhikari said after casting his vote. The claim signals the ruling BJP's confidence in a constituency that has served as the symbolic epicentre of West Bengal's fiercest recent political rivalry.
Notably, Nandigram is the seat where Adhikari defeated his predecessor and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 assembly election, a result that reverberated across the state's political landscape. He subsequently defeated her again at Bhabanipur in 2026, having chosen to retain that constituency rather than Nandigram after winning both seats earlier this year.
The Chief Minister as a 'Common Voter'
Adhikari made a deliberate show of arriving at the polling station as an ordinary citizen. He rode a toto, stood in the queue, and cast his vote without invoking his security entitlement as Chief Minister. "As a Chief Minister, I am entitled to security. But today I came to the polling station as a voter of Nandigram. So, I chose to come like a common person," he said.
The gesture is consistent with his positioning in Nandigram — a constituency he describes as holding deep emotional significance, regardless of the seat he formally represents. He explained his decision to retain Bhabanipur by saying that had he vacated it, his defeated rival would have contested a bypoll there.
High Voter Turnout and Poll Day Atmosphere
The Chief Minister said polling in Nandigram was proceeding peacefully and with strong participation. "The polling percentage at Nandigram as of now is quite high, which generally does not happen in any bypoll," Adhikari said, framing the turnout as a democratic endorsement rather than a routine exercise. High turnout in a bypoll is unusual and is typically read as a sign of heightened political stakes.
AJUP Legislator Arrested at Rejinagar Bypoll
Adhikari also addressed the arrest of Humayun Kabir, founder and legislator of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), who was detained at Rejinagar in Murshidabad district earlier on Tuesday. "He is an elected legislator. But he is not a candidate for the Rejinagar bypoll. He is neither an election agent. So even as an elected legislator he could not move from booth to booth influencing the voters," Adhikari said, defending the action on legal grounds.
The Rejinagar bypoll is one of several being held simultaneously across West Bengal, raising the political temperature statewide. With results awaited, the Nandigram bypoll is shaping up as a direct referendum on the BJP's hold over its most symbolically loaded constituency.
Point of View
Emotionally and electorally. His prediction of a record margin for Hasirani Rath raises expectations that could embarrass the BJP if the bypoll is close. More importantly, the contest tests whether BJP's 2021 breakthrough in Nandigram was personal — tied to Adhikari's anti-Mamata narrative — or structural, reflecting a durable voter realignment. The simultaneous arrest of an opposition legislator at Rejinagar will draw scrutiny over whether the ruling party is using the state machinery to tilt the playing field on bypoll day.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari say about the Nandigram bypoll?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said he expects BJP candidate Hasirani Rath to win by a margin that exceeds his own 80,000-plus vote victory in Nandigram in 2016. He made the statement after casting his vote there on 6 October 2026.
Why does Nandigram hold political significance for Suvendu Adhikari?
Adhikari won Nandigram in 2016 as a TMC candidate and then again in 2021 as a BJP candidate, defeating Mamata Banerjee on that occasion. He describes the constituency as his emotional home and chose to retain Bhabanipur — where he also defeated Banerjee in 2026 — to prevent a backdoor re-entry by his rival.
Why did Adhikari arrive at the polling booth without security?
He said he came as a voter of Nandigram rather than as Chief Minister, choosing to travel on a toto and stand in the queue like an ordinary citizen. He acknowledged his entitlement to a security detail but waived it for the occasion.
Who is Hasirani Rath and what is her role in the Nandigram bypoll?
Hasirani Rath is the BJP's candidate in the Nandigram Assembly bypoll being held on 6 October 2026. Adhikari has publicly backed her and predicted a record-breaking margin in her favour.
Why was AJUP legislator Humayun Kabir arrested on bypoll day?
Humayun Kabir, founder and legislator of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party, was arrested at Rejinagar in Murshidabad district for allegedly moving from booth to booth to influence voters. CM Adhikari defended the arrest, noting Kabir was neither a candidate nor an election agent in the Rejinagar bypoll.
