The stage is set for multi-cornered contests in the October 6 Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls, with the final line-up shaped by withdrawals, candidate arrests, electoral symbol complications and rival Trinamool Congress factions contesting the two seats.
The last day for withdrawal of nominations on Saturday witnessed a dramatic turn of events in Rejinagar, with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction's candidate first announcing his withdrawal and then reversing the decision within hours. An Independent candidate was also arrested in the constituency, while the Congress nominee in Nandigram was sent to judicial custody, effectively keeping him out of the campaign.
Polling in both constituencies is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9. The scrutiny of nomination papers was held on September 17 and 18.
The bypolls were necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacated Nandigram, which he had won alongside Bhabanipur, while Rejinagar fell vacant after AJUP chief Humayun Kabir retained Nawda after winning both seats in the 2026 Assembly elections.
In Nandigram, the contest is likely to be four-cornered after the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction extended support to the Congress. The BJP, Left and Ritabrata Banerjee-led Trinamool faction have fielded their own candidates.
The Nandigram contest acquired added significance after Congress nominee Milan Pradhan was arrested and jailed on the basis of four 19-year-old pending arrest warrants relating to serious offences allegedly committed during the 2007 land agitation in the region.
The arrest took place on Friday, shortly after Banerjee extended her faction's support to the Congress in Nandigram. The decision followed the withdrawal of her faction's nominee, Sanchita Pradhan Dey.
Banerjee described the Congress as a "natural alliance" partner and said, "the decision to support Congress was taken before; only the party did not know about it".
The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of Chandranath Rath, a former aide of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari who was gunned down earlier this year.
Adhikari had defeated Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 Assembly polls in Nandigram by a margin of 1,956 votes before going on to defeat her in Bhabanipur five years later.
The Ritabrata Banerjee-led TMC faction, temporarily allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress by the Election Commission pending a decision on the rival factions' claims to the party name, symbol and other assets, has fielded Mohammad Eteshamul Haque. He will contest under the 'Envelope' symbol.
The Left has nominated CPI's Shantigopal Giri from Nandigram.
In Rejinagar, the situation changed rapidly on Saturday after Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the candidate of the Banerjee-led TMC faction, announced his withdrawal, citing pressure on party workers and difficulties in contesting under the faction's newly allotted electoral symbol.
Chowdhury reversed the decision within hours after speaking to Banerjee and said he would remain in the contest at her direction.
He later said he would begin campaigning even with 10 workers by his side. Chowdhury will contest under the EC-allotted name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the 'Football Player' symbol.
The AJUP has fielded Ghulam Nabi Azad (Robin), son of party chief and former TMC leader Humayun Kabir, in Rejinagar.
Robin's candidature comes after Kabir won the Rejinagar seat in the 2026 Assembly elections by a margin of nearly 59,000 votes. His son's entry into the bypoll allows the party to test its organisational strength in a constituency where Kabir has considerable sway and a sizeable minority support base.
AJUP has also faced an electoral symbol complication, with the Election Commission replacing its earlier allotted 'Whistle' symbol with 'Table' amid the wider dispute over party symbols following the 2026 political realignment.
The Election Commission has now officially allotted the 'Whistle' symbol to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thalapathy Vijay's political party TVK, a move criticised by Kabir as a "conspiracy".
"The EC, through all sorts of dirty tricks and conspiracies, has taken away our original symbol, the 'whistle', and instead allotted us the 'table' symbol today," Kabir wrote on social media.
"However, the administration's mean-spirited approach and conspiracies cannot stop the AJUP or our fighting spirit.
"The people of Rejinagar are with us, and they will give a befitting reply to these actions by pressing the button on the EVM," he added.
The BJP has fielded Sakharav Sarkar, a former Murshidabad district president, from Rejinagar and is seeking to expand its footprint in a constituency where it finished second in the 2026 polls.
Adhikari also appealed to minority voters in Nandigram and Rejinagar to support the BJP, framing elections 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.
The Ritabrata Banerjee-led TMC faction has nominated Safiuzzaman Sheikh, while the Congress has fielded Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi. The CPI(M) has nominated Syed Asad Ali.
Meanwhile, police arrested Rejinagar Independent candidate Saiful Islam Mondal, alias Madan, during a routine vehicle check in the Hariharpara area on Saturday.
Police claimed to have recovered illegal firearms, several rounds of ammunition and counterfeit currency from his possession.
Mondal is also a block president of AJUP and was seemingly fielded as a dummy candidate of the party.
According to PTI, the two bypolls will see the BJP, rival TMC factions, Congress and Left parties competing across the two constituencies after a series of developments during the nomination and withdrawal process.
In Nandigram, Banerjee's decision to back the Congress has altered the contest, while the presence of rival TMC candidates in Rejinagar has added another dimension to the multi-cornered fight.
(With inputs from PTI)
