Suvendu Adhikari claims Mamata Banerjee had no leg fracture in Nandigram 2021, cites medical report
Synopsis
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari dropped a political bombshell on Saturday, alleging Mamata Banerjee fabricated her iconic 2021 Nandigram leg-fracture claim — and produced a Bangur Institute medical report from March 2021 to back it up. With a Nandigram bypoll just days away and the TMC offering no rebuttal, the allegation threatens to reopen one of the most charged episodes of their bitter electoral rivalry.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari alleged on 3 October 2026 that Mamata Banerjee falsely claimed a leg fracture during her Nandigram campaign for the 2021 Assembly elections .
Adhikari cited a radiodiagnosis report from the Bangur Institute of Neurosciences dated 11 March 2021 , which he says shows no fracture was found.
Banerjee had campaigned in a wheelchair with a plastered leg, and TMC used the slogan 'The Game is on with the fractured leg.' Adhikari defeated Banerjee in the Nandigram seat by a margin of under 2,000 votes ; Banerjee later won a Bhabanipur bypoll to retain the Chief Minister's post.
A formal probe has been promised by the Adhikari administration, to be announced after 9 October when Nandigram bypoll results are declared.
Neither Mamata Banerjee nor any senior TMC leader had responded to the allegations as of Saturday evening.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday, 3 October 2026, levelled a pointed allegation against his predecessor Mamata Banerjee, claiming she made a false claim of having suffered a leg fracture during poll campaigning at Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. Adhikari cited a medical report to substantiate the charge and promised a formal investigation once the current election code of conduct is lifted.
Background: The Nandigram Injury Claim
During campaigning for the 2021 state polls, Mamata Banerjee — then contesting as the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from Nandigram — was reportedly injured while on the campaign trail. She subsequently campaigned with a plaster on her leg and from a wheelchair, with the TMC rallying behind the slogan: 'The Game is on with the fractured leg.' Immediately after the reported incident, Banerjee alleged she had been pushed by a group of individuals and also claimed there was a conspiracy to assassinate her, naming Adhikari as the alleged mastermind.
Adhikari went on to defeat Banerjee in the Nandigram seat by a margin of just under 2,000 votes. Banerjee subsequently won a bypoll from Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in south Kolkata and retained the Chief Minister's office for a third consecutive term.
What Adhikari Alleged on Saturday
Speaking on Saturday afternoon, Chief Minister Adhikari disputed the injury account and produced what he described as a medical report from the Bangur Institute of Neurosciences dated 11 March 2021. According to Adhikari, the radiodiagnosis report relating to Banerjee's treatment 'clearly states that there was no sign of fracture.'
Adhikari indicated that a separate investigation into what he characterised as 'false claims' and 'false propaganda' will be initiated by the administration. However, citing the model code of conduct currently in force ahead of the Nandigram bypoll on 6 October, he said he would formally announce the probe only after results are declared on 9 October.
'Let the bye-elections for the two Assembly constituencies be over this month and a separate investigation in the matter will start,' Adhikari said. 'Since the model code of conduct is already in force, I am not saying anything more in the matter now. Once the election code is lifted, we will conduct a new investigation into this false propaganda. I will announce that after October 9,' he added.
TMC's Silence on the Allegations
Notably, as of Saturday evening, there was no public response from Mamata Banerjee or any senior TMC leader to the allegations. The party's silence, coming days before the Nandigram bypoll, is conspicuous given the political weight the original injury narrative carried during the 2021 campaign. The absence of a rebuttal may reflect the constraints of the model code of conduct or a strategic decision to avoid amplifying the charge during a sensitive electoral period.
What Happens Next
The Nandigram bypoll is scheduled for 6 October, with results due on 9 October. Adhikari has indicated the probe will be formally announced after that date. Whether the administration's investigation — should it proceed — will hold legal standing given the years elapsed since the 2021 incident remains to be seen. Critics are likely to argue the timing is politically motivated, coming as it does days before a high-stakes bypoll in the very constituency that defined the Adhikari-Banerjee rivalry.
Point of View
And revisiting it now is designed to delegitimise that history in the constituency that cost Banerjee her seat. What is missing is an answer to the harder question: if this medical report existed all along, why did it surface only in 2026? The credibility of the investigation Adhikari is promising will hinge entirely on its independence from the ruling dispensation — a standard that is difficult to meet when the Chief Minister is the principal accuser.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did Suvendu Adhikari allege about Mamata Banerjee's leg injury?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari alleged that Mamata Banerjee falsely claimed to have suffered a leg fracture while campaigning in Nandigram ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. He cited a radiodiagnosis report from the Bangur Institute of Neurosciences dated 11 March 2021, which he says clearly states there was no sign of fracture.
What was Mamata Banerjee's original claim about the Nandigram injury?
During the 2021 campaign, Mamata Banerjee reported being injured at Nandigram, alleging she was pushed by a group of people and that there was a conspiracy to assassinate her. She named Adhikari as the alleged mastermind and campaigned subsequently from a wheelchair with a plastered leg, with TMC rallying behind the slogan 'The Game is on with the fractured leg.'
What is the Nandigram bypoll and when will results be declared?
The Nandigram Assembly constituency is scheduled to go to a bypoll on 6 October 2026, with results to be declared on 9 October 2026. It is one of two Assembly constituencies going to by-elections that month in West Bengal.
When will the administration's investigation into the alleged false claims begin?
Chief Minister Adhikari said the investigation will be formally announced after 9 October 2026, once the model code of conduct — currently in force ahead of the Nandigram bypoll — is lifted. He stated he would not elaborate further until after the election results.
Has the Trinamool Congress responded to Adhikari's allegations?
As of Saturday evening on 3 October 2026, neither Mamata Banerjee nor any senior TMC leader had publicly responded to Adhikari's allegations. The party's silence came despite the significant political stakes, with the Nandigram bypoll just days away.
