West Bengal bypolls: BJP retains Nandigram with record margin, wins Muslim-dominated Rejinagar

Women voters queue outside a polling station to cast their votes during the Assembly by-election in Nandigram constituency, Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, October 6, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI

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.

Also Read : Bypoll results LIVE

With the results, the number of seats of the BJP in the State Assembly have increased to 209. There are a total of 294 seats in the House.