Bengal bypolls: Congress candidate stages sit-in at Rejinagar, demands repolling
Synopsis
On West Bengal bypoll day, the Congress candidate in Rejinagar sat down in protest outside the local police station, demanding a full repolling after alleging BJP supporters barred minority voters from booths. With average turnout at 41.33% after four hours and sporadic tension in both Rejinagar and Nandigram, the bypolls have already generated a trail of complaints — most of them from Congress, per the Chief Electoral Officer's office.
Key Takeaways
Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi (Congress) began a sit-in outside Rejinagar Police Station on 6 October 2026 , demanding total repolling.
Kafi alleged BJP supporters were blocking minority-community voters from booths and accused police and central forces of inaction.
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya dismissed the allegations as pre-defeat deflection, predicting BJP wins in both Rejinagar and Nandigram .
Average turnout in the two constituencies stood at 41.33% after four hours; Rejinagar at 38.71% and Nandigram at 43.95% .
The Chief Electoral Officer 's office confirmed that the majority of polling-day complaints received were from Congress.
Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi, the Indian National Congress candidate for the bypolls in Rejinagar Assembly Constituency in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, launched a sit-in demonstration outside the Rejinagar Police Station on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, demanding total repolling in the constituency. The protest came amid polling day tensions that also engulfed Nandigram in East Midnapore district, where West Bengal bypolls were simultaneously underway.
What the Congress Candidate Alleged
Kafi alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters were preventing voters — particularly from minority communities — from casting their ballots at several booths. He further accused both the police and central security forces of failing to intervene despite the alleged disruptions.
Speaking to reporters, Kafi said: 'The polling at Rejinagar has become a farcical exercise. So, our demand is its immediate cancellation and a total repolling in Rejinagar.'
BJP Dismisses Complaints as Pre-Defeat Deflection
Samik Bhattacharya, the BJP's state president in West Bengal and a Rajya Sabha member, rejected the allegations as baseless. Bhattacharya attributed the complaints to the Congress candidate's anxiety ahead of what the BJP projected as a decisive loss.
'By-elections are underway in Rejinagar and Nandigram. BJP candidates will win from both the constituencies,' Bhattacharya said, adding that the party expected to win Nandigram by five times its previous margin of victory. He described Rejinagar as a minority-dominated area where, he claimed, the BJP would also prevail.
Nandigram Complaints and Polling Numbers
The Congress candidate in Nandigram, Milan Pradhan, separately alleged that BJP activists had been intimidating voters for two days ahead of polling, with the situation worsening on election day. Pradhan claimed that areas identified as 'anti-BJP pockets' were being specifically targeted, and said his party was keeping the Election Commission of India (ECI) informed of each such incident.
Polling data recorded after the first four hours of voting — until 11 am — showed an average turnout of 41.33% across the two constituencies. Rejinagar logged 38.71% in that period, while Nandigram registered a higher 43.95%. Reports of sporadic tension emerged from both seats during the same window.
Election Commission Receiving Complaints
A source in the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office confirmed that the majority of complaints received since Tuesday morning had originated from the Congress. This comes amid a broader pattern of bypolls in West Bengal being contested amid allegations of booth-level disruptions, a recurring point of friction between the state's major parties.
The results of the Rejinagar and Nandigram bypolls will be closely watched as an indicator of the BJP's ability to consolidate in minority-heavy constituencies ahead of the next state electoral cycle.
Point of View
Made loudest by the party that fears it will lose. But the fact that the Chief Electoral Officer's office confirmed the bulk of complaints came from Congress does not automatically validate them; it does, however, put the ECI on notice to document what happened. What is more telling is the BJP's confidence in minority-dominated Rejinagar — if the party does pull off a win there, it would represent a genuine shift in the state's electoral geography, one that neither the TMC nor Congress has fully reckoned with. The focus now should be on whether the ECI acts on the complaints before results are declared, or files them away as routine protest.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Congress candidate in Rejinagar demanding repolling?
Congress candidate Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi alleged that BJP supporters blocked minority-community voters from casting ballots at several booths during the 6 October 2026 bypolls, and that police and central security forces failed to intervene. He staged a sit-in outside Rejinagar Police Station and called for the entire polling exercise to be cancelled and redone.
What did the BJP say about the Congress allegations in Rejinagar?
BJP West Bengal state president Samik Bhattacharya dismissed the allegations as baseless, saying the Congress candidate was raising false claims out of fear of a landslide defeat. Bhattacharya predicted BJP wins in both Rejinagar and Nandigram, claiming the party would win Nandigram by five times its previous victory margin.
What was the voter turnout in Rejinagar and Nandigram after four hours?
By 11 am — four hours into polling — the average turnout across both constituencies was 41.33%. Rejinagar recorded 38.71% and Nandigram recorded a higher 43.95% in the same period.
Were there complaints in Nandigram as well?
Yes. Congress candidate Milan Pradhan alleged that BJP activists had been intimidating voters for two days before polling and that 'anti-BJP pockets' were being specifically targeted on election day. Pradhan said his party was updating the Election Commission of India on each reported incident.
How is the Election Commission responding to the complaints?
A source in the Chief Electoral Officer's office confirmed that the majority of complaints received since Tuesday morning came from Congress. It is not yet clear what specific action, if any, the ECI has taken on the allegations from either constituency.
