Nandigram, Rejinagar by-polls record nearly 79% turnout; Congress seeks re-polling

Suvendu calls polling peaceful; Congress alleges irregularities; Humayun arrested

PTI, Oct 6, 2026, Kolkata/Nandigram/Rejinagar: Voting for the by-polls to Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly constituencies of West Bengal concluded at 6 pm on Tuesday, a senior EC official said, adding that those still in the queue would be allowed to vote.

Nearly 79 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the two constituencies, according to the poll panel. Voting was peaceful, with a few untoward incidents reported, the official said. 

Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district recorded a polling percentage of 79.39, while Rejinagar in Murshidabad registered 78.42 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the polling in Nandigram has been peaceful so far and expressed hope for a record turnout.

Adhikari, who got down from his car some distance from his polling station in Nandigram and took an e-rickshaw to reach the facility, interacted with electors before casting his vote.

"Polling has been peaceful in Nandigram. Around 50 per cent voting has been registered so far. We know that by-elections usually see average turnouts... I believe there will be around 85 per cent turnout here," Adhikari told reporters after exercising his franchise.

The chief minister said he would not comment on the outcome of the polls due to the implementation of the model code of conduct (MCC).

However, West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar on Tuesday demanded total re-polling in both the constituencies for alleged intimidation of voters and forcible eviction of the party's agents.

The party's Nandigram candidate Milan Pradhan alleged that the by-poll in the seat has been marked by "vote-loot, voters' intimidation and biased action of the police and security forces".

The Congress's Rejinagar nominee Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi also staged a sit-in outside the local police station, demanding cancellation of the by-polls and fresh polling.

"Our Rejinagar candidate has begun a sit-in before the local PS protesting the forcible eviction of our agents from over a hundred booths in that constituency. Later we found that Congress agents were roughed up and forced to leave from almost all the booths in Rejinagar," Sarkar alleged at a press conference in the party state unit's headquarters 'Bidhan Bhavan' in Kolkata.

"An atmosphere of intimidation has been created in such a manner that except the BJP workers, no one else can stay inside the polling booths," Sarkar added.

The Congress president further alleged that all booths in Nandigram block II and several polling stations in block I "have been captured" by the ruling BJP.

The by-polls began on a tense note, with a police confrontation leading to the arrest of AJUP chief and MLA Humayun Kabir in Rejinagar and allegations of voter intimidation and polling irregularities surfacing in Nandigram, putting the spotlight on law and order in the two politically sensitive constituencies.