Rejinagar bypoll: Mamata faction candidate reverses withdrawal in Murshidabad
Synopsis
In a single day, Rabiul Alam Chowdhury announced he was pulling out of the Rejinagar bypoll, then reversed course — all while a sitting TMC MP publicly accused Mamata Banerjee of being 'misled.' With the party split formalised, new symbols assigned, and two bypolls heading to the polls on 6 October, West Bengal's political theatre is far from its final act.
Key Takeaways
Rabiul Alam Chowdhury , the Mamata Banerjee -led faction's candidate in the Rejinagar bypoll , reversed his withdrawal decision on 19 September 2026 after party appeals.
He had earlier cited worker reluctance over the new 'Football Player' symbol and administrative pressure as reasons for withdrawing.
Murshidabad TMC MP Abu Taher Khan publicly criticised fielding a candidate in Rejinagar, claiming Mamata had been 'misled'.
In contrast, the faction's Nandigram candidate Sanchita Dey Pradhan withdrew; Mamata announced support for the Congress candidate there.
The ECI has allotted the Mamata faction the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the symbol 'Football Player' , after freezing the original TMC name and symbol.
Polling in Rejinagar and Nandigram is scheduled for 6 October , with counting on 9 October .
Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the candidate of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), on 19 September 2026 reversed his earlier decision to withdraw from the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, adding a fresh layer of political drama to an already volatile contest. The about-turn, which came within hours of his initial announcement, followed appeals from the faction's party leadership, including Mamata Banerjee herself.
The Dramatic U-Turn
Earlier on Friday, Chowdhury had told reporters that he intended to pull out of the race, citing two key reasons: reluctance among party workers to campaign under the new symbol — 'Football Player' — allotted to the faction by the Election Commission of India (ECI), and what he described as administrative pressure. He had also claimed the withdrawal decision was taken after consultations with Mamata Banerjee herself. Within hours, however, he reversed course, announcing he would remain in the contest after renewed appeals from the party leadership.
Internal Dissent Surfaces
The reversal did not silence critics within the faction's own ranks. Abu Taher Khan, the TMC Lok Sabha MP from Murshidabad, openly criticised the decision to field a candidate in Rejinagar at all. 'She had always been misled by some people. She had been misled this time as well,' Khan said, referring to Mamata Banerjee — a rare instance of a sitting parliamentarian publicly questioning the party chief's electoral strategy. The remark signals deepening fissures over candidate selection in the bypoll-bound constituency.
Nandigram Contrast: A Tale of Two Bypolls
The Rejinagar developments come a day after a contrasting decision in the other bypoll constituency. Sanchita Dey Pradhan, the Mamata faction's candidate in the Nandigram Assembly bypoll in East Midnapore district, withdrew her nomination following a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata Banerjee subsequently announced support for the Congress candidate in Nandigram — a tactical pivot that has drawn scrutiny given the two contrasting approaches adopted for the twin bypolls.
Why Rejinagar Is in Contention
The Rejinagar bypoll was necessitated after AJUP leader Humayun Kabir, who won both the Rejinagar and Naoda Assembly seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, chose to retain the Naoda seat. His son, Golam Nabi Azad, is now contesting the Rejinagar bypoll as the AJUP candidate. The constituency is located in Murshidabad, a minority-dominated district, making the contest politically sensitive for multiple parties.
The ECI Split and New Party Symbols
Adding to the complexity is the formal split within TMC as recognised by the Election Commission. On Friday, the ECI allotted the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the symbol 'Football Player' to Mamata Banerjee's faction. The rival faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee was allotted the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the symbol 'Envelope'. The poll panel had earlier frozen the original party name 'All India Trinamool Congress' and its traditional 'Flowers and Grass' symbol — depriving both factions of the brand recognition that has defined West Bengal politics for over a decade.
Polling for both the Rejinagar and Nandigram Assembly bypolls is scheduled for 6 October, with counting of votes on 9 October. With the Mamata faction now committed to contesting Rejinagar under a new name and unfamiliar symbol, the next two weeks will test whether the faction's ground network can compensate for the loss of the TMC's established electoral identity.
Point of View
Only for the same chief to call him back hours later. The more damaging signal is MP Abu Taher Khan's open rebuke: when a sitting parliamentarian says his own leader is being 'misled,' it exposes a faction that has not resolved its internal power dynamics even as the ballot clock ticks. The contrasting approaches in Rejinagar and Nandigram — fight in one, concede in the other — suggests reactive rather than strategic electoral calculus. With the original TMC name and symbol frozen by the ECI, the Mamata faction is asking voters in minority-heavy Murshidabad to back a brand they have never seen on a ballot before. That is a steep ask in a high-stakes contest.
NationPress
19 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Rabiul Alam Chowdhury initially say he was withdrawing from the Rejinagar bypoll?
Chowdhury cited two reasons: reluctance among party workers to campaign under the newly allotted 'Football Player' symbol, and what he described as administrative pressure. He also claimed the decision had been taken after discussions with Mamata Banerjee. He later reversed the decision following fresh appeals from the party leadership.
What is the 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' faction and why does it have a new symbol?
It is the faction of the TMC led by Mamata Banerjee, which the Election Commission of India formally recognised by assigning it the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the symbol 'Football Player' on 19 September 2026. The ECI had earlier frozen the original party name 'All India Trinamool Congress' and its traditional 'Flowers and Grass' symbol amid an internal party split, requiring both rival factions to contest under new identities.
When is the Rejinagar bypoll scheduled?
Polling for the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll, along with the Nandigram bypoll, is scheduled for 6 October 2026. The counting of votes for both constituencies is set for 9 October 2026.
Why was the Rejinagar bypoll necessitated in the first place?
The bypoll became necessary after AJUP leader Humayun Kabir, who won both the Rejinagar and Naoda Assembly seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, chose to retain the Naoda seat. His son, Golam Nabi Azad, is contesting the Rejinagar seat as the AJUP candidate.
What happened in the Nandigram bypoll that contrasts with the Rejinagar situation?
The Mamata faction's Nandigram candidate, Sanchita Dey Pradhan, withdrew her nomination following a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata Banerjee subsequently announced support for the Congress candidate in Nandigram — a different strategic call from the decision to stay in the race in Rejinagar.
