Bengal bypolls 2026: Nandigram, Rejinagar vote Tuesday under massive security
Synopsis
West Bengal's two most politically charged bypolls are underway on Tuesday — Nandigram, where Trinamool Congress has pulled out entirely and the BJP fields the mother of an assassinated aide, and Rejinagar, hosting a six-cornered contest. With 71 CAPF companies on the ground and 24% of booths flagged as sensitive, the election machinery is leaving nothing to chance.
Key Takeaways
Bypolls for Nandigram (East Midnapore) and Rejinagar (Murshidabad) are being held on Tuesday, 5 October ; results on 9 October .
71 CAPF companies deployed — 37 in Nandigram, 34 in Rejinagar — alongside 15,119 state police personnel .
About 24% of booths in each constituency are designated sensitive: 323 in Nandigram, 315 in Rejinagar.
All India Trinamool Congress is absent from the Nandigram contest after its candidate withdrew at the last moment.
BJP has fielded Hasirani Ratth , mother of the late Chandranath Rath , who was assassinated on 6 May .
Rejinagar hosts a six-cornered contest including BJP, AJUP, Congress, AITC, Democratic TMC, CPI(M), and RSP.
The bypolls to the Nandigram Assembly Constituency in East Midnapore district and the Rejinagar Assembly seat in Murshidabad district of West Bengal are being held on Tuesday, 5 October under an unprecedented security deployment, with results expected on 9 October. The two constituencies together have drawn a combined force of 71 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies and over 15,000 state police personnel.
Security Arrangements
Of the 71 CAPF companies deployed, 37 are stationed in Nandigram and 34 in Rejinagar. State police deployment stands at 15,119 personnel — 819 in Rejinagar and 700 in Nandigram. According to an official from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Central forces will be present at every polling booth and in quick response team formations. 100 per cent web-casting has been mandated across all booths in both constituencies.
Approximately 24 per cent of booths in each constituency have been designated as sensitive — 323 booths in Nandigram and 315 in Rejinagar. The scale of the deployment reflects the historically charged nature of electoral politics in both districts, where past polls have witnessed violence and controversies.
The Contest at Nandigram
Nandigram is set for a four-cornered contest involving the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress, the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress, and the Communist Party of India (CPI). The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is absent from the fray at Nandigram this time, after its candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination at the last moment.
The BJP's candidate is Hasirani Ratth, the mother of the late Chandranath Rath, the former personal assistant of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was assassinated on 6 May at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district. Her candidacy carries significant political symbolism, putting the BJP's fortunes closely tied to the narrative around the slain aide.
The bypoll itself was necessitated when Suvendu Adhikari, who was elected simultaneously from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in South Kolkata in the earlier Assembly polls this year, chose to retain Bhabanipur, vacating the Nandigram seat.
The Contest at Rejinagar
Rejinagar presents a broader six-cornered contest, with the BJP, Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), Congress, All India Trinamool Congress, Democratic Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) all fielding candidates. The seat fell vacant after AJUP candidate Humayun Kabir won both the Naoda and Rejinagar Assembly seats in Murshidabad district in the previous Assembly elections and subsequently chose to retain Naoda.
What the Results Could Signal
Both bypolls are being closely watched as an early political temperature check in West Bengal ahead of the next state assembly cycle. Nandigram's history — the 2021 assembly battle between Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari remains one of Indian politics' most scrutinised contests — ensures that any outcome there carries outsized national attention. The Trinamool Congress's absence from Nandigram, meanwhile, could fragment the anti-BJP vote in ways that benefit smaller contestants. Results on 9 October will offer the first post-Assembly reading of voter sentiment in both districts.
Point of View
Meanwhile, risks splitting the opposition vote so badly that the victor could be decided by thin pluralities rather than genuine mandates. Neither bypoll will redraw Bengal's political map, but together they will reveal whether the 2021 assembly arithmetic has held — or quietly shifted — in two districts that have repeatedly served as bellwethers for the state.
NationPress
5 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are bypolls being held in Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal?
The Nandigram bypoll is being held because Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was elected from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in this year's Assembly polls, chose to retain Bhabanipur, vacating the Nandigram seat. The Rejinagar bypoll was necessitated after AJUP candidate Humayun Kabir won both Naoda and Rejinagar and opted to retain Naoda.
When will the results of the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls be announced?
The results for both the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls will be declared on 9 October. Voting is taking place on Tuesday, 5 October, with counting scheduled four days later.
Who is the BJP candidate for the Nandigram bypoll?
The BJP has fielded Hasirani Ratth, the mother of the late Chandranath Rath, former personal assistant of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was assassinated at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas on 6 May. Her candidacy is seen as a politically symbolic choice by the party.
Why is Trinamool Congress not contesting the Nandigram bypoll?
All India Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, is absent from the Nandigram contest after its candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination at the last moment. The party has not publicly explained the withdrawal, leaving a four-cornered race between BJP, Congress, Democratic Trinamool Congress, and CPI.
What security measures are in place for the West Bengal bypolls?
A total of 71 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies and over 15,119 state police personnel have been deployed across the two constituencies. Central forces will be present at every booth, and 100 per cent web-casting has been mandated; approximately 24% of booths in each seat are designated as sensitive.
