The BJP secured a resounding victory in the Nandigram assembly by-election, with candidate Hasirani Rath defeating Congress rival Milan Pradhan by a record margin of 1,22,753 votes as results were announced on Friday.
BJP’s Historic Win in Nandigram
Hasirani Rath, mother of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s slain personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, received 1,64,427 votes in the election held in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district. Her closest competitor, Milan Pradhan of the Congress, garnered 41,674 votes.
Other Candidates’ Performance
All other candidates—including those from the Left Front, ISF, and the rebel Democratic Trinamool Congress faction—lost their deposits. The CPI candidate, Santi Gopal Giri, finished third with 5,779 votes.
Political Significance of Nandigram
This result marks a consolidation of BJP’s influence in Nandigram, a constituency with a crucial place in West Bengal’s political history since the anti-land acquisition movement that helped bring the Trinamool Congress to power in 2011.
Nandigram has been a battleground for prominent political figures including Suvendu Adhikari and Mamata Banerjee, with Adhikari having defeated the then Chief Minister in the 2021 assembly elections.
Emotional Factor Behind Rath’s Candidature
Rath’s nomination carried emotional weight following the murder of her son in Madhyamgram, near Kolkata, on May 6, shortly after the BJP’s West Bengal assembly election victory.
Context of the By-Election
The by-election occurred after Suvendu Adhikari, who won Nandigram in the 2026 assembly polls, chose to retain his Bhabanipur seat instead.
Implications for BJP in West Bengal
This win in Nandigram, combined with the BJP’s gains in Muslim-majority Rejinagar, represents a significant test for the party just months after it ended the Trinamool Congress’s 15-year rule in West Bengal.
