Nandigram: Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Hasirani Rath conducts her first Sunday campaign along with party leaders and workers ahead of the Nandigram Assembly by-election in Nandigram, Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal on Sunday, September 20, 2026
BJP seniors claim that the party will shatter all previous records—even surpassing Suvendu Adhikari’s historic victory margin of over 81,230 votes in the 2016 polls. As a result, this bypoll is set to be a completely one-sided affair. Pabitra Kar — who contested against Suvendu Adhikari in the assembly election — has already announced his retirement from active politics.
Former Trinamool functionary Abu Taher said: “The outcome of Nandigram election is already written on the wall. Nandigram: With opposition in disarray ahead of Nandigram bypoll, BJP appears to be the only party firmly on the ground campaigning this Sunday. the party is unable to match the sheer organisational strength of BJP in these parts While CPI ’s Santi Gopal Giri is also out campaigning. Candidates have barely two weekends remaining on the campaign calendar to reach out to voters. Referring to the political vacuum in the opposition, Rath expressed confidence in a resounding victory, saying that her primary focus is to extend the winning margin. Congress candidate Milan Pradhan is in judicial custody, and instead of campaigning, the party is occupied with dealing with the police and courts. Democratic Trinamool Congress candidate Ehteshamul Haque is yet to kick-start his ground campaign. Following Sanchita’s departure, Bharatiya Nyay-Adhikar Raksha Party candidate Shukla Das has also withdrawn her candidature. Meanwhile, the ISF candidate’s campaign plans have taken a hit with the party losing its erstwhile symbol, ‘envelope’, which has gone to Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic TMC. Trinamool stands completely bankrupt here, and all of this is a fallout of Mamata Banerjee ’s I-PAC policy. She saw Nandigram with her ears. The workers are paying the price for it. Echoing this sentiment, another prominent local figure, Sheikh Sufiyan, stated: “There is nothing left of TMC in Nandigram.
On Sunday, BJP’s Hasirani Rath, flanked by Contai MP Soumendu Adhikari and party seniors, carried out voter outreach programmes across Daudpur.