Political parties are making a final push to woo voters in Nandigram and Rejinagar as campaigning for the October 6 bypolls to the two West Bengal Assembly constituencies draws to a close on Sunday evening.
In Nandigram, Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has been engaged in an intensive campaign since Thursday, when he returned to the constituency after securing bail from the Calcutta High Court, leaving him little time to make up for his absence from the campaign.
Pradhan was arrested on September 18 in connection with six cases dating back to the 2007 anti-land acquisition agitation in Nandigram. His arrest came after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her TMC faction's support to him following the withdrawal of its candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey from the contest.
Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew after a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Since his release, Pradhan has been touring almost every part of Nandigram and seeking votes, while his rivals have also intensified their campaigns in the final days.
BJP candidate Hasirai Rath has been campaigning extensively, with senior party leaders also addressing rallies in her support. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to hold rallies in Nandigram on Sunday.
Rath, the mother of Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath, was unsuccessfully challenged by the Congress in the Calcutta High Court over an alleged discrepancy between her age and the year in which she passed Class 10. The court dismissed the petition.
Chandranath Rath was killed two days after the West Bengal Assembly election results were declared.
Apart from the BJP and Congress, the Left, the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and the Democratic Trinamool Congress, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, are also contesting the Nandigram bypoll.
Rejinagar in Murshidabad district is witnessing a multi-cornered contest involving the BJP, Congress, Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and the two TMC factions. Campaigning in the constituency is also expected to intensify on Sunday, the final day.
An Independent candidate in the Rejinagar bypoll was arrested last month in connection with a five-year-old case involving a clash between two groups during the 2021 state Assembly elections.
Polling for the two constituencies will be held on October 6, while counting of votes is scheduled for October 9.
The bypolls were necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacated Nandigram, which he had won along with Bhabanipur, while the Rejinagar seat fell vacant after AJUP chief Humayun Kabir retained Nawda after winning both constituencies in the 2026 Assembly elections.
