Last Updated on October 11, 2026 3:17 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
By Aafreen Hussain
The BJP’s sweeping victories in the 9 October by-election results have strengthened its position in West Bengal, delivering a record-breaking win in Nandigram and a major breakthrough in Muslim-majority Rejinagar.
In Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath secured 1,64,427 votes, defeating Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, backed by Mamata Banerjee’s faction, by 1,22,753 votes. CPI candidate Santi Gopal Giri received 5,779 votes. The result carries particular significance in Nandigram, where Mamata’s anti-land acquisition movement helped propel the Trinamool Congress to power in 2011, before Suvendu Adhikari defeated her there in 2021.
In Rejinagar, BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar won 1,29,914 votes, defeating Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) candidate Golam Nabi Azad, son of Humayun Kabir, who secured 54,098 votes. The BJP’s victory margin was 75,816 votes—a striking reversal after Kabir had won the constituency by nearly 59,000 votes in the 2026 Assembly election.
Political Reactions
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari described the victories as an endorsement of BJP governance, Narendra Modi’s leadership and the party’s development agenda. He also claimed that minority voters had supported the BJP in both constituencies, particularly in Rejinagar, where Muslims constitute a substantial majority.
Humayun Kabir rejected the outcome as a genuine popular mandate, alleging that the police administration had helped secure the BJP’s victory. Following his son’s defeat, he announced that he intended to move to Dubai after completing his proposed mosque project in Murshidabad. His allegations remain claims, not independently established findings.
CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim alleged electoral irregularities, describing the results as a BJP “vote loot” model and criticising the Election Commission. He claimed that the electoral process had been compromised, allegations the BJP has rejected.
Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the elections had been engineered through what he called “silent violence”. Congress had also raised concerns about alleged intimidation and irregularities during polling.
Political Significance
The twin victories expose the weakness of a fragmented opposition, with rival Trinamool factions, Congress, the Left and AJUP failing to prevent the BJP’s advance. Rejinagar is particularly significant because the result challenges assumptions about the BJP’s electoral limitations in Muslim-majority constituencies.
For Mamata Banerjee, Nandigram carries a powerful historical irony: the constituency associated with her rise has now become a symbol of the BJP’s expanding dominance. However, two by-election results alone cannot establish a permanent political realignment. The crucial question is whether the BJP can sustain its support and whether the opposition can overcome its divisions before the next major electoral contest.
Nandigram represents the consolidation of the BJP’s existing strength; Rejinagar signals a potentially wider shift in Bengal’s electoral politics. Together, the results pose a serious challenge to the opposition’s ability to recover.