File photo
By Aafreen Hussain
The Nandigram Assembly by-election, scheduled for October 6, has once again placed the politically significant constituency at the centre of West Bengal’s political discourse. The contest has been transformed by the withdrawal of the Mamata Banerjee faction’s candidate, the BJP’s nomination of Hasirani Rath, mother of slain Suvendu Adhikari aide Chandranath Rath, the arrest of Congress nominee Milan Pradhan and the continuing confrontation among rival Trinamool factions, the BJP, Congress and the Left.
Nandigram and the fall of the Left Front
Nandigram’s importance goes far beyond an ordinary Assembly constituency. In 2007, protests erupted against the then Left Front government’s proposal to acquire land for an industrial and chemical-hub project. On March 14, 2007, police firing during the agitation killed 14 people, according to the National Human Rights Commission.
Along with the Singur land movement, Nandigram helped transform Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress into the principal political challenger to the Left. The anti-land-acquisition movement became an important factor in the 2011 Assembly election, when the Left Front lost power after 34 years and Mamata Banerjee formed the government.
From Mamata’s movement to Suvendu’s stronghold
Ironically, the same Nandigram movement also became central to the political rise of Suvendu Adhikari, who was then closely associated with Mamata Banerjee. The relationship later turned into a major political confrontation after Adhikari joined the BJP.
In the 2021 Assembly election, Mamata Banerjee contested Nandigram against Adhikari and lost by 1,956 votes. In the 2026 Assembly election, Adhikari again won Nandigram and subsequently vacated the seat after deciding to retain Bhabanipur, creating the vacancy for the present by-election.
BJP fields mother of slain aide
The BJP has nominated Hasirani Rath, mother of Chandranath Rath, a former personal aide of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari who was shot dead in Madhyamgram on May 6, shortly after the 2026 Assembly election results. The BJP’s decision has brought Chandranath Rath’s killing into the political narrative of the Nandigram campaign. The case was initially investigated by the state police and an SIT before being transferred to the CBI.
TMC candidate withdraws after Nabanna meeting
The biggest twist came on September 18 when Sanchita Pradhan Dey, nominated by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction, withdrew her candidature after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Nabanna. She did not publicly explain the reason for her withdrawal. The timing of the meeting and subsequent withdrawal immediately generated political controversy, although reports have described the meeting as having initially been presented as a courtesy meeting.
Mamata Banerjee subsequently announced that her faction would not field another candidate and would instead support Congress nominee Milan Pradhan, describing Congress as a “natural alliance” partner and linking the decision to cooperation within the INDIA bloc.
The situation became still more complicated when Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with old cases arising from the 2007 Nandigram agitation. Mamata questioned the timing and alleged that the action reflected what she called BJP “politics of vendetta”; police, meanwhile, cited pending warrants and old cases.
Left and Ritabrata factions remain in the contest
The Left Front has fielded CPI candidate Shantigopal Giri, maintaining its presence in a constituency that was once a Left stronghold. The Left’s participation gives the election another dimension, with the CPI seeking to rebuild its political presence in an area historically associated with the collapse of Left dominance.
The Ritabrata Banerjee-led rival Trinamool faction has nominated Mohammad Eteshamul Haque. Earlier, Ritabrata Banerjee had publicly said that his faction would withdraw its candidate if Mamata herself decided to contest Nandigram, arguing that he wanted her to return to the Assembly. After Mamata did not contest, his faction remained in the electoral field.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders have projected Nandigram as an important test of the party’s continuing political influence, while BJP state president Shamik Bhattacharya has also sought to distance the party from religious categorisation of voters after remarks by Suvendu Adhikari about the by-election being a “test” for minority voters.
Thus, a constituency that once symbolised the end of Left Front rule and the beginning of the Mamata era has now become a complicated battlefield involving the BJP, two rival TMC factions, Congress and the Left. The October 6 vote will therefore carry significance not only for the vacant Assembly seat but also for the competing political narratives surrounding Nandigram’s past and West Bengal’s rapidly changing political landscape.