Bengal bypoll results 2026: BJP leads in Nandigram and Rejinagar as counting progresses
Synopsis
BJP candidates are leading in both Nandigram and Rejinagar as West Bengal bypoll counting gets underway on 9 October — but the headline number is a reported 6,000-vote BJP lead in Rejinagar, a constituency where over 65% of voters are Muslim. If the trend holds, it would mark a striking political shift in one of Bengal's most closely watched minority-dominated seats.
Key Takeaways
BJP candidates are leading in both Nandigram (East Midnapore) and Rejinagar (Murshidabad) as vote counting progresses on 9 October .
In Nandigram , BJP's Hasirani Rath is ahead of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan ; the TMC is not contesting this seat.
In Rejinagar , BJP's Sakharav Sarkar leads Congress candidate Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi by approximately 6,000 votes — notable in a constituency over 65% Muslim .
Hasirani Rath is the mother of Chandranath Rath , the late personal assistant of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari , assassinated on 6 May .
Both bypolls were necessitated after winners in the Assembly elections — Suvendu Adhikari (Nandigram) and Humayun Kabir (Rejinagar) — chose to retain alternate seats.
Final results were expected between noon and 1 pm on 9 October , after 15 counting rounds per constituency.
Counting of votes for the West Bengal bypolls to Nandigram Assembly Constituency in East Midnapore district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district got underway on Friday, 9 October, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates holding an early lead in both seats. Polling for both constituencies was held on 6 October.
Early Trends in Nandigram
In Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasirani Rath is ahead of Congress challenger Milan Pradhan in the early rounds. Notably, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is not fielding a candidate in Nandigram for this bypoll.
Hasirani Rath is the mother of Chandranath Rath, the former personal assistant of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was assassinated at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district on 6 May. Her candidacy has given the contest a deeply personal dimension, drawing significant attention to the seat.
BJP Leads by 6,000 Votes in Minority-Dominated Rejinagar
In Rejinagar, BJP candidate Sakharav Sarkar is ahead of Congress candidate Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi by approximately 6,000 votes, according to the latest available figures. The margin is being closely watched given that Rejinagar is a minority-dominated constituency where over 65 per cent of voters belong to the Muslim community. A BJP lead of this scale in such a seat, if it holds, would represent a significant political moment in West Bengal.
Why These Bypolls Were Necessitated
The bypolls are a direct consequence of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur Assembly constituencies in South Kolkata. At Bhabanipur, Adhikari defeated his predecessor and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by a margin of more than 15,000 votes. Since Adhikari chose to retain Bhabanipur, a bypoll in Nandigram became mandatory under electoral rules.
In Rejinagar, former Trinamool Congress legislator Humayun Kabir contested as an AJUP candidate and won from both Naoda and Rejinagar constituencies, both in Murshidabad district. After he opted to retain Naoda, a bypoll for Rejinagar was necessitated.
Counting Process and Timeline
Counting commenced at 8 am on 9 October, beginning with postal ballots before proceeding to Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tallies. There are 15 rounds of counting scheduled for each constituency. Final trends were expected to emerge between noon and 1 pm on Friday.
What the Results Could Signal
This comes amid a charged political atmosphere in West Bengal, where the BJP and the TMC have been locked in fierce competition since the last Assembly elections. A BJP win in Nandigram — a constituency historically synonymous with the rise of Mamata Banerjee — would carry symbolic weight beyond the seat itself. The performance in Rejinagar, given its demographic composition, will also be scrutinised as a barometer of BJP's outreach in minority-dominated belts. The final outcome is expected to set the tone for the next round of political posturing in the state.
Point of View
000 votes, even if it narrows, signals either a fractured opposition vote or a genuine realignment that pollsters did not anticipate. In Nandigram, the TMC's absence removes the triangulation that typically scrambles BJP arithmetic in East Midnapore; without Mamata's vote-share in the mix, the seat was always the BJP's to lose. The deeper story is whether these results reflect a durable shift in Bengal's subaltern politics or simply a bypoll anomaly that a full-cycle election would reverse.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the West Bengal bypoll results for Nandigram and Rejinagar?
As of 9 October, BJP candidates are leading in both Nandigram and Rejinagar during vote counting. In Nandigram, BJP's Hasirani Rath is ahead of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, while in Rejinagar, BJP's Sakharav Sarkar leads Congress candidate Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi by around 6,000 votes. Final results were expected between noon and 1 pm.
Why was a bypoll held in Nandigram?
The Nandigram bypoll was necessitated because Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur constituencies in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections and chose to retain Bhabanipur. Under electoral rules, vacating one seat triggers a bypoll.
Why was a bypoll held in Rejinagar?
Former TMC legislator Humayun Kabir, contesting as an AJUP candidate, won from both Naoda and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district. He opted to retain Naoda, making a Rejinagar bypoll mandatory.
Why is BJP's lead in Rejinagar considered significant?
Rejinagar is a minority-dominated constituency where over 65% of voters are from the Muslim community, making it traditionally difficult terrain for the BJP. An early lead of approximately 6,000 votes, if sustained, would be a politically significant result and a noteworthy shift in Bengal's electoral dynamics.
Who is Hasirani Rath, the BJP candidate in Nandigram?
Hasirani Rath is the mother of Chandranath Rath, the former personal assistant of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was assassinated at Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district on 6 May. Her candidacy has drawn considerable public and political attention to the Nandigram bypoll.
