Bengal bypolls 2026: Voting underway in Nandigram, Rejinagar under heavy security
Synopsis
West Bengal's two high-stakes bypolls — Nandigram and Rejinagar — are underway on 6 October under unprecedented security, with 8 kg of explosives seized the day before in Rejinagar and 99 precautionary arrests across both seats. A last-minute candidate withdrawal in Nandigram has reshaped that contest, while Rejinagar's minority-majority electorate sets up a volatile six-cornered race. Results on 9 October.
Key Takeaways
Voting is underway in Nandigram (East Midnapore) and Rejinagar (Murshidabad) on 6 October 2026 from 7 am to 6 pm .
71 companies of security forces deployed — 37 in Nandigram, 34 in Rejinagar.
Mamata All India Trinamool Congress candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew from Nandigram at the last moment, leaving the BJP 's Hasi Rani Rath as the frontrunner in a four-cornered contest.
Police seized approximately 8 kg of explosives in Rejinagar on Monday and filed 78 non-bailable cases , arresting 99 people as a precaution.
Rejinagar has a six-party contest with over 65% of its 2,56,546 voters from the minority community.
Bypoll results are scheduled for 9 October 2026 .
Polling is underway across two West Bengal Assembly constituencies — Nandigram in East Midnapore district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district — on 6 October, with voting proceeding peacefully under an unprecedented security deployment. Booths opened at 7 am and will remain open until 6 pm, with long queues reported from the first hour in both seats. Results are scheduled to be declared on 9 October.
Nandigram: A Contest Reshaped by Sympathy and Withdrawal
The Nandigram bypoll took a dramatic turn after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate fielded by the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC), withdrew her nomination at the last moment. Dey is the mother of the late Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was assassinated in Madhyamgram on 6 May. Political observers now describe the contest as a likely cakewalk for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Hasi Rani Rath, though analysts note that sympathy sentiment could cut in multiple directions in what remains a four-cornered race involving the BJP, Congress, Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress, and the Communist Party of India (CPI).
A total of 16 candidates are in the fray in Nandigram. The constituency has 2,66,419 registered voters — 1,38,955 male, 1,27,463 female, and 1 third-gender voter — spread across 323 booths, of which police have designated 85 as sensitive. Chief Minister Adhikari, who is himself a registered voter in Nandigram, was expected to cast his ballot at around 10 am.
Notably, the bypoll was necessitated after Adhikari won simultaneously from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in South Kolkata in the earlier Assembly elections and chose to retain Bhabanipur.
Rejinagar: Six-Cornered Fight with a Minority Majority Electorate
Rejinagar presents a more crowded and competitive contest, with six parties in the fray: the BJP, Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), Congress, Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, Democratic Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP). The seat is especially significant given that over 65 per cent of its electorate belongs to the minority community, making voter mobilisation patterns a key determinant of the outcome.
Rejinagar has 2,56,546 voters in total — 1,33,925 male, 1,22,616 female, and 5 third-gender voters — contesting among 14 candidates. The seat fell vacant after AJUP candidate Humayun Kabir won both the Naoda and Rejinagar Assembly seats in Murshidabad and subsequently chose to retain Naoda.
Security Deployment and Pre-Poll Incidents
A total of 71 companies of security forces have been deployed across the two constituencies — 37 in Nandigram and 34 in Rejinagar. The deployment follows a series of pre-poll developments that raised tensions in the region.
According to police sources, approximately 8 kilograms of explosives were recovered during special operations in different parts of Rejinagar on Monday. A search is underway to identify those responsible. In addition, police have registered 78 cases under non-bailable sections since the election announcement and made 99 precautionary arrests. This comes amid a pattern of pre-poll violence in the state that has drawn scrutiny from the Election Commission of India (ECI) in previous cycles.
What Happens Next
With polling concluding at 6 pm on Tuesday, counting is slated for 9 October. The outcomes in both seats are expected to carry symbolic weight — Nandigram, historically a flashpoint in Bengal politics, carries particular resonance for the ruling BJP state government. Any deviation from the projected outcomes could signal a shift in the political mood ahead of the next state electoral cycle.
Point of View
Where a six-party field, a minority-majority electorate, and the discovery of 8 kg of explosives the day before polling tell a story of a district where political competition remains dangerously unresolved. The scale of precautionary arrests — 99 people — also invites scrutiny: such pre-emptive detentions, while legally permissible, are a recurring flashpoint in Bengal's electoral cycle and rarely escape challenge. How clean these results are declared to be will matter as much as who wins.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are bypolls being held in Nandigram and Rejinagar in 2026?
The Nandigram bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the earlier Assembly elections and chose to retain Bhabanipur. The Rejinagar bypoll became necessary after AJUP candidate Humayun Kabir won both Naoda and Rejinagar and chose to retain Naoda.
When will the Bengal bypoll results for Nandigram and Rejinagar be declared?
Results for both the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls will be declared on 9 October 2026. Polling is being held on 6 October from 7 am to 6 pm.
Who are the main candidates in the Nandigram bypoll?
The primary contenders are the BJP's Hasi Rani Rath, alongside candidates from Congress, the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress, and CPI. The Mamata All India Trinamool Congress candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination at the last moment, leaving a four-cornered contest.
What security arrangements are in place for the Bengal bypolls?
A total of 71 companies of security forces have been deployed — 37 in Nandigram and 34 in Rejinagar. Police also seized approximately 8 kg of explosives in Rejinagar on Monday, filed 78 non-bailable cases, and arrested 99 people as a precautionary measure.
What makes the Rejinagar bypoll contest particularly competitive?
Rejinagar has a six-party contest and over 65 per cent of its 2,56,546 voters are from the minority community, making it a volatile and closely watched race. Parties in the fray include the BJP, AJUP, Congress, MAITC, Democratic Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), and RSP.
