Nandigram and Rejinagar Bypolls See Opposition Under Pressure
With the BJP facing its first electoral test in West Bengal since it came to power in the Assembly elections earlier this year, the Opposition finds itself in a tough spot in two key constituencies — Nandigram and Rejinagar — amid candidate withdrawals, arrests and allegations of police pressure on Opposition workers.
The developments in the two seats, which will see bypolls on October 6, have prompted Opposition leaders to allege a pattern of pressure on their candidates and workers. The BJP, however, has rejected the allegations, with its leaders accusing the Opposition of making excuses ahead of the contest.
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya took a dig at the Opposition, but also struck a note of caution. “The so-called main Opposition party has no name… Their candidate (from Nandigram) covered hundreds of kilometres and met the Chief Minister while their party was in the dark. This proves that there is no Opposition. It is not a welcome situation in a democracy,” he said.
A BJP poll graffiti in Nandigram ahead of October 6 bypolls. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
The Nandigram tangle
In Nandigram, the candidate of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) faction, Sanchita Dey Pradhan, withdrew from the contest, following which Mamata extended support to the Congress candidate Milan Pradhan. Within hours, Pradhan was arrested in connection with cases related to the 2007 anti-land acquisition agitation.
The Nandigram bypoll was necessitated after Adhikari resigned as MLA from the seat to retain the Bhabhanipur seat, where he defeated Mamata.
Pradipta Mukherjee, spokesperson of the Mamata faction of the TMC termed the development as the BJP’s “fascist tendency of the BJP to stifle Opposition voices”. “They (BJP) have the people mandate but are now using state machinery to oppress the Opposition,” he added.
In Rejinagar, meanwhile, Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir, whose resignation has necessitated the bypoll, has alleged police harassment against party workers and said he would not campaign on the ground. His son, Golam Nabi Azad, is the AJUP candidate here.
After appearing before the police for questioning at Berhampore police station on Monday, Kabir told The Indian Express over the phone that he had decided to campaign through social media instead. “It is very clear. The police are trying to harass me and my party workers. To prevent further arrests and harassment of my party workers, I have decided that I will not campaign on the ground. I will also not allow my son, who is the candidate, to campaign. Instead, I will use social media. But I will not bow down,” he said.
The Rejinagar seat fell vacant after Kabir resigned as MLA to retain Naoda. Kabir, a former TMC MLA, left the party and formed the AJUP ahead of the polls. He has also attracted controversy over his move to construct what he has described as a replica of the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad.
Why was Kabir questioned?
The police questioning followed a viral audio clip in which two people can allegedly be heard discussing a plan to switch off CCTV cameras around the site of a Babri Masjid replica being constructed in Murshidabad and put up BJP flags in order to trigger communal tension.
The police said one of the voices in the recording belongs to Sarfaraz Nawaz Chowdhury, who is a resident of Tungi village in Naoda has been arrested. Chowdhury. Investigators believe the other voice belongs to a political leader from Murshidabad. The police issued a notice to Kabir based on information obtained during Chowdhury’s interrogation.
The police action against AJUP functionaries has intensified in recent days. On September 20, four senior party office-bearers — Manjur Rehman, Nasim Sheikh, Haq Mallick and Abdul Halim — were arrested in connection with various old cases.
On September 19, Independent candidate Saiful Islam was arrested in connection with a 2021 election clash case. A day earlier, Ashik Iqbal, the AJUP state secretary, was arrested allegedly with fake currency notes.
Kabir has accused the BJP and the Democratic Trinamool Congress, a breakaway faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee, of working in tandem to target AJUP workers by providing names to local police.
Mamata’s Reginagar hurdles
The Rejinagar contest has also seen uncertainty within the TMC. Its candidate, Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, initially announced that he would withdraw from the race, citing internal difficulties and concerns over the introduction of the party’s new “footballer” election symbol. He later reversed the decision following intervention by Mamata and the party leadership and is now back in the contest.
The Congress has fielded Mohammed Abdullahil Kafi, while the BJP has nominated Sakharav Sarkar. State minister Gouri Shankar Ghosh has been appointed the BJP’s election in-charge for the constituency.
Sarkar said the BJP’s campaign was centred on development and employment. “I am campaigning. I am talking about setting up good industries and factories in the area. There is a need for a college in the area. There should be a proper bridge. Our pitch to the public is development and employment. Those opposing us are playing the religion card,” he told The Indian Express.
Ghosh, meanwhile, dismissed Kabir’s allegations and said the BJP would win Rejinagar. “He (Kabir) knows he will lose. Now, he is making such excuses. The BJP will win in Rejinagar,” Ghosh said.
Rejinagar, where Muslims account for roughly 65% of the electorate, is particularly significant in the bypoll battle. Adhikari has described the contest as a “test” of whether minority voters want to support the government’s development agenda, a remark that has drawn criticism from the Opposition. The results of the two bypolls will be announced on October 9.
