BJP wins Rejinagar bypoll by 75,816 votes, tally rises to 209 in Bengal
Synopsis
In a constituency where over 65% of voters belong to the minority community, BJP's Sakharav Sarkar has won Rejinagar by a staggering 75,816 votes — a margin that reportedly exceeds 100% positive swing for the party. The result pushes BJP's West Bengal tally to 209 seats and raises pointed questions about the opposition's hold on minority voters in Murshidabad.
Key Takeaways
BJP's Sakharav Sarkar won the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll in Murshidabad, West Bengal by 75,816 votes .
Sarkar secured 1,29,914 votes ; runner-up Golam Nabi Azad (AJUP) got 54,098 votes .
Over 65% of Rejinagar voters belong to the minority community, making the margin politically significant.
BJP's positive swing reportedly exceeded 100% compared to the earlier contest at Nandigram.
The win takes BJP's tally in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly to 209 seats .
The bypoll was triggered after AJUP's Humayun Kabir chose to retain Naoda over Rejinagar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sakharav Sarkar has been declared elected from the Rejinagar Assembly constituency bypoll in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, winning by a commanding margin of 75,816 votes on 10 October 2025. Sarkar secured 1,29,914 votes, making it one of the most decisive bypoll victories in the constituency's recent history.
Full Tally of Candidates
Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP)'s Golam Nabi Azad finished second with 54,098 votes, while Congress' Abdullahil Kafi came third securing 6,168 votes. Trinamool Congress' Rabiul Alam Chowdhury took fourth place with 3,847 votes, Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s Md. Sayeed finished fifth with 3,797 votes, and Democratic Trinamool Congress' Safiuzzaman Sheikh came sixth with 2,044 votes.
Why the Margin Stands Out
Political observers have flagged the sheer scale of the victory as remarkable, given that more than 65 per cent of Rejinagar's electorate belongs to the minority community. The BJP, often characterised by its opponents as a communal force, secured a sweeping mandate in a constituency where minority voters form a clear majority. This marks a statistically significant shift from the earlier Assembly elections, where AJUP's Humayun Kabir had won from Nandigram with a margin of 58,876 votes, securing 51.62 per cent of votes polled — the BJP's swing in Rejinagar reportedly exceeds 100 per cent in positive movement relative to that benchmark.
BJP's Explanation for the Result
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari attributed the outsized margin to welfare outreach. According to Adhikari, a large number of women voters from the minority community in Rejinagar who benefited from the Annapurna Yojana scheme voted for the BJP along with their family members. He stated: 'The Rejinagar bypoll results proved that the minority voters in West Bengal, especially the Bengali-speaking Muslims will no longer be misled by malicious Opposition campaigns accusing BJP of being a communal force.'
Background: Why the Bypoll Was Held
The bypoll was necessitated after AJUP's Humayun Kabir won simultaneously from both Rejinagar and Naoda constituencies — both in Murshidabad district — during the earlier Assembly elections. Kabir subsequently chose to retain Naoda, vacating Rejinagar and triggering the bypoll. The seat thus had a precedent of being held by a non-BJP figure before this contest.
Impact on West Bengal Assembly Strength
With this victory, the BJP's tally in the 294-seat West Bengal Legislative Assembly has risen to 209 seats. The result is a significant boost for the party's position in the state, where it has been seeking to consolidate gains made in recent elections. All eyes will now be on how the ruling Trinamool Congress responds and whether further bypolls or political realignments follow in Murshidabad and adjoining districts.
Point of View
816-vote margin in a constituency where minorities form two-thirds of the electorate is not a routine bypoll result — it is a data point that forces a rethink of the assumption that Muslim voters in Bengal are uniformly opposed to the BJP. Whether this reflects genuine welfare-driven realignment via schemes like Annapurna Yojana, or a fractured opposition vote that gifted the seat, matters enormously for how the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election is read. Notably, the Trinamool Congress finished fourth, below Congress and barely ahead of the CPI-M — a collapse that will unsettle the party's Murshidabad calculations. The result also underscores the risk for opposition parties of running multiple candidates in a minority-heavy seat: AJUP, Congress, TMC and Democratic TMC together bled enough votes to widen BJP's margin dramatically.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll in West Bengal?
BJP's Sakharav Sarkar won the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, securing 1,29,914 votes and winning by a margin of 75,816 votes over AJUP's Golam Nabi Azad.
Why was the Rejinagar bypoll held?
The bypoll was necessitated because AJUP's Humayun Kabir won two seats — Rejinagar and Naoda — in the earlier Assembly elections. He chose to retain Naoda, vacating Rejinagar and triggering the bypoll.
How many seats does BJP now hold in the West Bengal Assembly?
With the Rejinagar win, BJP's tally in the 294-seat West Bengal Legislative Assembly has risen to 209 seats.
Why is the victory margin in Rejinagar considered significant?
Political observers note that over 65% of Rejinagar voters belong to the minority community, making a 75,816-vote BJP victory particularly notable. The party's positive swing reportedly exceeded 100% compared to the previous contest benchmark.
What reason did Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari give for the BJP's large margin?
Adhikari attributed the result to welfare outreach, specifically citing beneficiaries of the Annapurna Yojana scheme among minority women voters, who he said voted for the BJP along with their family members.
