The New Indian Express ·
Politics
Suvendu calls Nandigram, Rejinagar bypoll a ‘test’ for minority voters as BJP seeks wider support
The BJP on Tuesday sought to give its campaign for the Nandigram bypoll an emotive edge by fielding Hasirani Rath, mother of slain aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while describing the October 6 contest in Nandigram and Rejinagar as a political “test” for minority voters.
Rath, whose son Chandranath Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district on May 6, two days after the BJP came to power in West Bengal, filed her nomination from Nandigram in Haldia in the presence of Adhikari.
The BJP has fielded its former Murshidabad district president Sakharav Sarkar in Rejinagar, opting for an organisationally experienced face in the Muslim-majority constituency.
The two bypolls were necessitated after Adhikari and AJUP chief Humayun Kabir vacated Nandigram and Rejinagar respectively. Both seats have now turned into multi-cornered contests involving the BJP, the Congress, the Left and two rival TMC factions.
Adhikari, who had won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the 2026 Assembly elections before retaining Bhabanipur, accompanied Rath to the Haldia SDO office and launched an aggressive campaign, promising to turn the bypoll into a demonstration of support for the BJP government.
“I know how to conduct the polls. We will win by such a big margin in Nandigram that no one has ever imagined,” he told supporters.
Adhikari also appealed to minority voters in Nandigram and Rejinagar to support the BJP, framing the October 6 election as a test of their willingness to back the state government.
“October 6 will be your test of whether you want to be with the government and the chief minister and work hand-in-hand. I leave it to you whether you want to pass or fail in the test,” he said.
Adhikari said the BJP government, which assumed office on May 9, had undertaken development initiatives during its first four months and would spend the remaining 56 months working for the welfare and progress of West Bengal.
Both constituencies have sizeable minority electorates, making Adhikari’s appeal significant as the BJP seeks to expand its support beyond its traditional voter base.
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction hit back at the BJP’s attempt to frame the contest along majority-minority lines. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said development, rather than a religious divide, should determine political support.
“It’s not a question of majority or minority; all sections of society have to be won over by development initiatives,” Ghosh said.
The BJP’s choice of Rath has brought the killing of her son to the centre of its Nandigram campaign.
Chandranath, who had served as Adhikari’s personal assistant when he was the Leader of the Opposition, was travelling in a car in Madhyamgram when motorcycle-borne assailants shot him dead.
The case was initially investigated by the state police and a Special Investigation Team before being handed over to the CBI.
Rath has said she has been active in politics since 1998. She has served twice as a panchayat member and three times as a panchayat samiti member.
Her candidature had been the subject of speculation in Nandigram and she appeared to signal her nomination earlier in the day by offering prayers at two local temples.
“Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is the guardian of our family,” she said, adding that she would sincerely discharge whatever responsibility the party entrusted to her.
After visiting the temples, Rath expressed confidence that she would win the seat by a margin of 1.10 lakh votes.
Adhikari sought to reinforce the personal narrative around her candidature, saying Chandranath’s “biggest crime” was that he had assisted him when he was the Leader of the Opposition.
The BJP’s Nandigram strategy combines the personal story of a slain party worker’s family with the constituency’s broader political significance.
Nandigram was the epicentre of the anti-land acquisition movement that helped propel the TMC to power in 2011 and has remained a key battleground in the political contest between Adhikari and Mamata Banerjee.
Adhikari defeated Banerjee by 1,956 votes in the 2021 Assembly elections. He won Nandigram again in 2026 before vacating the seat to retain Bhabanipur, where he had also emerged victorious.
The contest this time is more fragmented, with the two TMC factions fielding separate candidates.
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has nominated Sanchita Pradhan Dey in Nandigram and former MLA Rabiul Alam Chowdhury in Rejinagar. The rebel TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee has fielded Mohammad Eteshamul Haque and Safiuzzaman Sheikh respectively.
The Congress has fielded Milan Pradhan in Nandigram and Abdullahil Kafi in Rejinagar, while the Left has nominated CPI’s Shantigopal Giri in Nandigram and CPI(M)’s Syeed Asad Ali in Rejinagar.
The RSP, which disagreed with the CPI(M) over seat-sharing, is contesting Rejinagar separately with Bikash Chandra Mishra.
Rejinagar also carries its own political and family angle. Kabir, who founded the AJUP, had won both Rejinagar and Nowda in the 2026 Assembly elections before vacating Rejinagar. He has now thrown his weight behind his son Golam Nabi Azad in the bypoll.
The contest is also unfolding against the backdrop of a dispute over organisational control and the TMC symbol. The Election Commission is expected to decide this week whether either of the rival factions can contest under the party’s “twin flowers on grass” symbol or will have to use temporary symbols.
For the BJP, the two bypolls offer an opportunity to consolidate the political momentum of its first months in office while testing whether its appeal can penetrate constituencies with substantial minority populations.
Adhikari also sought to reassure Nandigram voters that vacating the seat would not mean abandoning the constituency.
“It is my responsibility to fulfil all the promises I made to the people of the constituency,” he said, while promising that BJP workers who had suffered alleged atrocities during the previous TMC regime would be provided “work, shelter and food”.
The Nandigram and Rejinagar seats will vote on October 6, with September 16 being the last date for filing nominations. Counting will take place on October 9.
(With inputs from PTI)