By-elections are being held on Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly seats of West Bengal. The Election Commission had declared September 19 as the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers. On this last day, Rabiul Alam Chaudhary has withdrawn his name from Rezinagar. Earlier, Sanchita Pradhan from Nandigram had shocked Mamata Banerjee by withdrawing her nomination papers. With the end of the date for filing nomination papers, the challenge of TMC (Mamata faction) from Nandigram and Rejinagar has ended. By-elections on these two seats of West Bengal Assembly are to be held on 6 October.
On behalf of Congress, Mohammad Abdullahil will contest from Rezinagar assembly seat, while Milan Pradhan has been made the candidate from Nandigram. CPM has fielded advocate Syed Asad Ali from Rezinagar, while CPI has fielded Shanti Gopal Giri from Nandigram.
Mamata Banerjee had announced her support to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in Nandigram. However, on Friday, Milan Pradhan was arrested in an old case.
BJP has declared Hasi Rani Rath, mother of Chandranath Rath, who was PA to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, as its candidate from Nandigram. Chandranath Rath was murdered after the assembly election results. At the same time, BJP has given ticket to Shankharav Sarkar from Rejinagar.
The bypoll in Nandigram was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacated the seat and decided to retain the Bhawanipur seat, where he had defeated Mamata Banerjee in the assembly elections held earlier this year.
The Rejinagar seat had fallen vacant after the resignation of Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) founder Humayun Kabir. He had also won from Naoda assembly.