West Bengal bypolls: BJP sweeps Nandigram, breaks through in Muslim-majority Rejinagar; PM Modi hails win

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday won both Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal's assembly bypolls. The result is particularly significant as it comes months after the saffron party won a thumping majority in West Bengal, ending Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule.In Nandigram, BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath polled 1,64,427 votes to defeat Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, who secured 41,674 votes. Rath is the mother of Chandranath Rath, former personal assistant of chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who was shot dead in May.In Rejinagar, BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar won with 1,29,914 votes. His nearest rival, Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) candidate Golam Nabi Azad, secured 54,098 votes. The BJP’s victory is particularly noteworthy given that Muslims account for nearly 70% of the voters in the constituency.Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated BJP on its victories in the Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly bypolls in West Bengal and the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam. He said the results reflected people's deep-rooted connection with the BJP-NDA's good governance agenda.In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Gratitude to the people for their continuous blessings! The Lok Sabha result of Nagaon (Assam) and Assembly results of Nandigram as well as Rejinagar (West Bengal) show yet again that the people have a deep-rooted connect with the good governance agenda of BJP-NDA. I congratulate the victorious BJP candidates and also applaud the hardwork of our Party Karyakartas. I also congratulate our valued NDA ally, the AINRC, for their win in Thattanchavady in Puducherry. This mandate will give us added strength as we work tirelessly for the welfare of the people and to fulfil their aspirations for a brighter and more prosperous future," PM Modi said.Nandigram: Mamata's former bastionHasi Rani Rath's victory consolidates the BJP's position in Nandigram, in Purba Medinipur district. The constituency has remained central to West Bengal's political narrative since the anti-land acquisition movement helped propel the Trinamool Congress to power in 2011.Nandigram later became the site of a high-profile contest between Adhikari and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 assembly elections. Suvendu defeated Mamata in that election.Rath's candidature also carried an emotional dimension. Her son, Chandranath Rath, was shot dead by gunmen in Madhyamgram, on the outskirts of Kolkata, on May 6. The killing took place two days after the BJP won the West Bengal assembly elections.The bypoll was necessitated after Adhikari, who won Nandigram in the 2026 assembly elections, retained Bhabanipur.The opposition failed to mount a serious challenge to Rath. CPI candidate Santi Gopal Giri finished third with 5,779 votes. Other candidates, including those from the Left Front, ISF and the rebel Trinamool faction, Democratic Trinamool Congress, lost their deposits.The opposition camp suffered a setback on September 18 when TMC candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey, a schoolteacher, withdrew her nomination after meeting Adhikari with her husband. Mamata Banerjee’s faction then extended last-minute support to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan under the INDIA alliance.However, police arrested Pradhan barely an hour later over pending warrants in four murder cases linked to the 2007 land acquisition movement. He secured interim bail from the Calcutta high court and resumed campaigning.READ ALSO:'Anti-monopoly, not anti-business': Rahul Gandhi demands 'level playing field' for corporationsRejinagar: BJP wins Muslim-majority seatSarkar's victory in Rejinagar, in Murshidabad district, marks a breakthrough for the BJP in a constituency that has traditionally seen contests involving the Trinamool Congress, Congress and regional parties.Sarkar won by 75,816 votes, polling 1,29,914 votes against Azad's 54,098. Congress candidate Abdullahil Kafi received 6,168 votes, while Mamata faction's nominee Rabiul Alam Chowdhury polled 3,847. The CPI(M)'s Md Sayeed secured 3,797 votes, and Democratic Trinamool Congress candidate Safiuzzaman Saikh received 2,044.The fragmented opposition failed to mount a competitive challenge, leaving the BJP well ahead of its rivals.The bypoll was necessitated after AJUP founder Humayun Kabir vacated Rejinagar. A former Trinamool Congress leader, Kabir later founded the AJUP and won the constituency by more than 58,000 votes in the 2026 assembly elections. He retained Nowda, prompting the bypoll. His son, Golam Nabi Azad, contested this time on the AJUP ticket.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.