Story perspectives

BJP names Hasirani Rath, Sakharav Sarkar for by-polls

By Drooid · Sep 15, 2026, 10:06 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The Bharatiya Janata Party announced Hasirani Rath and Sakharav Sarkar as candidates for Nandigram and Rejinagar by-polls.
Rath is the mother of the slain aide to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, adding a personal narrative.
Nominations must be filed by 16 September 2026, with scrutiny on 17 September and withdrawals allowed until 19 September.
The Election Commission is hearing rival Trinamool Congress factions over the party’s name and symbol.

History

Historical Context

The 2014 Lok Sabha election gave the Bharatiya Janata Party an absolute majority—282 seats and 31 percent of the vote—making Narendra Modi prime minister. That win altered campaigning across states, including West Bengal. In today’s West Bengal by-polls, BJP candidates Hasirani Rath and Sakharav Sarkar, relatives of a slain aide to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, are using the same strategy to try shifting the state’s legislative balance.

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Story summary

The Bharatiya Janata Party announced Hasirani Rath and Sakharav Sarkar as candidates for Nandigram and Rejinagar by-polls.
Rath is the mother of the slain aide to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, adding a personal narrative.
Nominations must be filed by 16 September 2026, with scrutiny on 17 September and withdrawals allowed until 19 September.
The Election Commission is hearing rival Trinamool Congress factions over the party’s name and symbol.

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