Full Breakdown
West Bengal By-elections: Rival Trinamool Factions Clash Over Symbol and Nandigram Seat
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – By-polls in Nandigram and Rejinagar Trigger Intra-party Battle
The West Bengal Legislative Assembly by-elections for Nandigram and Rejinagar are set for October 6 with counting on October 9. The seats became vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari resigned from Nandigram and AJUP founder Humayun Kabir resigned from Rejinagar. The contests have become a flashpoint for a split within the Trinamool Congress (TMC): one faction led by party chief Mamata Banerjee and a rebel group headed by Ritabrata Banerjee, backed by opposition chief whip Akhruzzaman.
Background & Context – 2026 Assembly Defeat and TMC Fragmentation
In the 2026 Assembly elections the BJP unseated the TMC, winning both Nandigram and Bhabanipur. Mamata Banerjee lost Bhabanipur to Suvendu Adhikari, ending a 15-year TMC rule. After the defeat, more than 65 of the 80 TMC MLAs elected on May 4, 2026 turned rebel, accusing party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee of the loss and forming a “Nab Trinamool” bloc under Ritabrata Banerjee. The rebel faction has filed claims with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to retain the party’s “grass and twin-flower” symbol.
Timeline
- May 4, 2026 – 80 TMC MLAs elected; >65 rebel.
- September 8 – ECI announces schedule for the vacant seats.
- September 9 – Deadline for ECI to allot the TMC symbol; Akhruzzaman warns rebels will run as independents if denied.
- September 10 – Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar criticises the state government’s handling of Nandigram.
- September 12 – Congress fields Milan Pradhan (Nandigram) and Mohd. Abdullahil Kafi (Rejinagar).
- September 16 – Nomination filing deadline.
- September 17 – Scrutiny of nominations.
- September 19 – Withdrawal deadline.
- October 6 – Polling.
- October 9 – Counting.
- October 11 – ECI aims to complete the process.
Data & Statistics
- 80 TMC MLAs elected in 2026; >65 have defected.
- 9,665-vote margin by which Suvendu Adhikari won Nandigram in 2026.
- 58,876-vote margin by which Humayun Kabir won Rejinagar in 2026.
Official Statements & Responses
- Rebel TMC spokesperson Riju Dutta said the bloc will not field a candidate against Mamata Banerjee if she contests Nandigram, to avoid splitting anti-BJP votes.
- Banerjee loyalists assert the “grass and twin-flower” symbol remains with their faction until the ECI decides otherwise and will field candidates in both constituencies.
- The Election Commission has set the nomination deadline for September 16 and confirmed polling and counting dates while hearing arguments over symbol ownership.
- The BJP expressed confidence of winning the by-polls regardless of which TMC faction contests under the party symbol.
Criticism & Opposition
- West Bengal Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar condemned the state government’s handling of development in Nandigram, arguing the chief minister should have retained the seat.
- Rebel TMC leaders have blamed party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee for the 2026 defeat, framing their split as a response to internal mismanagement.
What’s Next – Upcoming Milestones
- September 16 – Nomination filing deadline.
- September 17 – Scrutiny of nominations.
- September 19 – Final withdrawal deadline.
- October 6 – Voting.
- October 9 – Counting.
- Before October 11 – ECI expected to announce final decisions on the TMC symbol and certify results.
The outcome will determine who occupies two key assembly seats and which faction inherits the Trinamool Congress’s emblematic identity ahead of future state contests.