States » EastPosted at: Oct 6 2026 9:41AM


Nandigram, Rejinagar bypolls begin amid tight security

Kolkata, Oct 6 (UNI) Five months after the West Bengal Assembly elections brought a political change in the state, voters in Nandigram and Rejinagar are returning to the polling booths on Tuesday for by-elections, with tight security arrangements in place across both constituencies.
Polling began at 7am and will continue till 6pm, while counting is scheduled for October 9.
The spotlight is particularly on Nandigram, where Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is himself a voter.
Adhikari had won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the Assembly elections but later retained Bhabanipur and vacated Nandigram, necessitating the bypoll.
The Nandigram contest has also been marked by the legal troubles of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan.
He was arrested in connection with old cases linked to the 2007 anti-land acquisition agitation in Nandigram and spent a substantial part of the campaign behind bars.
The Calcutta High Court subsequently granted him interim bail, allowing him to return to the constituency and campaign before polling.
The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath in Nandigram, while Pradhan is contesting on a Congress ticket.
The constituency is witnessing a multi-cornered contest, with the Left, ISF and the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress also in the fray.
Rejinagar is witnessing another closely watched contest.
Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir had won both Rejinagar and Nawada in the Assembly elections and subsequently retained Nawada, leaving Rejinagar vacant. The bypoll was therefore necessitated in the constituency.
Security has been significantly strengthened in both constituencies.
The Election Commission has deployed 34 companies of central forces in Rejinagar and 37 companies in Nandigram, taking the total deployment to 71 companies.
Rejinagar has 315 polling stations, while Nandigram has 323.
According to Election Commission data, Rejinagar has 2,57,657 voters, including 1,35,014 men, 1,22,638 women and five third-gender voters.
The constituency has 2,445 voters aged 18-19, 3,231 persons with disabilities, 1,697 voters aged above 85, 36 centenarians and 1,111 service voters.
Nandigram has 2,67,157 voters, comprising 1,39,677 men, 1,27,479 women and one third-gender voter.
There are 2,016 voters aged 18-19, 2,180 persons with disabilities, 1,884 voters above 85, 42 voters aged 100 or more and 738 service voters.
The two bypolls are the first Assembly elections in West Bengal since the May elections and are being closely watched for the political signals they may send after the change of government.
UNI SAG IM
Tags: #Nandigram# Rejinagar bypolls begin amid tight security
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