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Nandigram Bypoll: Suvendu Adhikari's First Major Test as Bengal CM
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News18•18-09-2026, 19:42
Nandigram Bypoll: Suvendu Adhikari's First Major Test as Bengal CM
- •The Nandigram bypoll has become a high-stakes prestige battle for West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, marking his first electoral test since taking office.
- •The contest saw dramatic developments, including the withdrawal of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction's candidate and the subsequent arrest of the Congress candidate they endorsed.
- •The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of Adhikari's slain aide Chandranath Rath, adding an emotional dimension and focusing the campaign on law and order.
- •Nandigram is Adhikari's political home turf, where he previously defeated Mamata Banerjee in 2021 and retained the seat in 2026 before vacating it for Bhabanipur.
- •The bypoll will indicate the BJP's strength in Adhikari's former constituency and his ability to lead the party in electoral contests without significant central intervention.
Key Questions Answered
Suvendu Adhikari won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the 2026 Assembly election, and after choosing to retain Bhabanipur, he vacated the Nandigram seat, triggering the October 6 bypoll.
The BJP fielded Hasirani Rath, the mother of Adhikari's slain aide Chandranath Rath, who was killed in Madhyamgram on May 6. Her candidature brings an emotional dimension to the campaign and allows the BJP to focus on law and order issues.
The faction's initial candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew her nomination after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Banerjee then announced support for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, but uncertainty followed after Pradhan was arrested in an old case
