Kolkata, September 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Bypolls for the Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district of West Bengal will be held on October 6, just ahead of the Durga Puja festival.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule on Monday. The gazette notification will be issued on September 9, while the last date for filing nominations is September 16. Scrutiny will take place on September 17 and candidates can withdraw their nominations until September 19.
Polling will be held on October 6, with counting of votes and declaration of results scheduled for October 9. The entire election process must be completed by October 11.
The Nandigram bypoll has been necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who had won the seat in the West Bengal Assembly elections earlier this year, retained Bhabanipur in South Kolkata. Adhikari had contested from both constituencies and defeated former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee at Bhabanipur by a margin of more than 15,000 votes.
Nandigram has remained a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2021, when Adhikari defeated Banerjee from the constituency. Political observers therefore expect the BJP to remain strongly placed in the upcoming contest.
The Rejinagar bypoll was necessitated after former Trinamool Congress legislator Humayun Kabir contested and won from both Naoda and Rejinagar as an Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) candidate. Kabir subsequently chose to retain Naoda, leaving the Rejinagar seat vacant.
The electoral battle in Rejinagar is expected to be more closely contested. Observers believe the constituency’s demographic profile could make it difficult for the BJP to secure a victory.
A Kolkata-based political observer said the Trinamool Congress, which is facing divisions into three factions, may also find the contest challenging, while the CPI-M and Congress could see an opportunity to increase their representation in the state Assembly.
The Rejinagar bypoll could also offer an indication of the direction of minority voting preferences in West Bengal ahead of future elections.
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