West Bengal bypolls: BJP retains Nandigram with record margin, wins Muslim-dominated Rejinagar
The BJP has secured significant victories in West Bengal bypolls, notably winning in Muslim-majority constituencies. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari attributed the success to the party's governance and the rejection of fear-based political narratives.
Why it matters
This result suggests a potential shift in voting patterns among minority communities in West Bengal, impacting the state's political landscape.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (October 9, 2026) won both Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly seats in West Bengal by a huge margin in the byelection that was held on October 6. In Nandigram Assembly seat located in Purba Medinipur district, BJP candidate Hasi Rani Rath won by a record margin of over 1.22 lakh votes. The margin of victory for BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar at Rejinagar in Murshidabad district was over 75,000 votes.
While it has been a tradition of the party in power in West Bengal to win bypolls, the significance of this victory is that a majority of Muslim electorate voted for the BJP both in Rejinagar and Nandigram. About 70% of the electorate in Rejinagar come from the minority community while 27% voters in Nandigram are Muslims.
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