West Bengal's bypolls for Nandigram Assembly Constituency in East Midnapore district and the Rejinagar seat in Murshidabad district recorded an average voter turnout of 58.16% in the first six hours of polling till 1 pm on Tuesday, 6 October, even as scattered incidents of tension were reported across both constituencies. Officials indicated the final figure could cross the 80% mark — unusually high by bypoll standards — if momentum held through the 6 pm close.

Constituency-wise Polling Numbers

Nandigram led with a turnout of 60.32% at the halfway point, while Rejinagar clocked 56% in the same period. According to an insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, the trajectory pointed to a strong finish. 'Considering that the polling will continue till 6 pm, it will not be surprising if the final polling percentage crosses the 80 per cent mark, which will be quite high as per bypoll standards,' the official said.

Trinamool Congress Conspicuous by Its Absence

One of the most striking developments of the day was the near-total silence from the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) faction. The party had no candidate in the race at Nandigram after its nominee, Sanchita Dey Pradhan, withdrew her nomination at the last moment. In Rejinagar, though Rabiul Alam Chowdhury was fielded as the faction's candidate, he was reportedly barely visible on polling day. According to reports, TMC was unable to deploy polling agents at most booths in Rejinagar — a significant operational gap that observers noted could affect its eventual vote share.

Violence Allegations and Congress Protest

Reports of scattered violence continued to reach the CEO's office through the day, with the maximum complaints lodged by the Congress. Former West Bengal Congress president and five-time Lok Sabha member Adhikar Ranjan Chowdhury staged a sit-in demonstration with supporters in Baharampur town in Murshidabad district, alleging electoral malpractices and police excesses against voters at Rejinagar. 'The police atrocities in Rejinagar over the past few days have already made the common voters scared of going to the polling booths. But even those who were interested in voting and tried to approach the polling booths on Tuesday were stopped. People's rights are being taken away,' Chowdhury alleged. The state police have not publicly responded to these allegations as of the time of reporting.

Context and What to Watch

The bypolls come at a politically charged moment in West Bengal, where factional tensions within the TMC and the Congress's push to reclaim ground in Murshidabad have made both seats closely watched. Nandigram has historic political resonance — it was the seat where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself lost in the 2021 Assembly elections, before the result was contested in court. A high turnout in such an environment typically signals strong voter engagement, though the direction of that engagement — protest votes, incumbent consolidation, or opposition mobilisation — will only become clear when counting begins. Final polling figures and counting details are awaited.