Mamata-led Trinamool Congress nominates candidates for by-polls

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. File | Photo credit: PTI

Ending speculation that former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee may contest the upcoming assembly by-polls, the Trinamool Congress on Sunday (September 13, 2026) announced candidates for the Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies.

The faction led by Mamata has fielded Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) from Nandigram and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury from Rejinagar. Elections to two constituencies in south Bengal are scheduled for October 6.

The party also announced that Adbul Salam will contest the election from Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam. The Mamata-led faction decided to announce candidates a day after the party’s other faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee said it would not field candidates if Ms Banerjee decided to contest from Nandigram.

Ms. Banerjee contested and lost by a narrow margin in the Nandigram assembly polls to Suvendu Adhikari in 2021. The by-poll will be held at a time when the Mamata faction and the Ritabrata Banerjee faction are competing for the party symbol of grass and two flowers. Leaders of both factions met Election Commission (EC) officials in Delhi to claim the symbol. Leaders of the Ritabrata Banerjee faction said that if the EC does not give the symbol to the Trinamool group, the party will field candidates as independents.

The polls also came as a setback to opposition unity as almost every opposition party fielded its candidates. The CPI(M)-led Left Front nominated Sayeed Asad Aliu from Rejinagar and Shanti Gopal Giri from Nandigram. The Congress nominated Mohd Abdullahil Kafi from Rejinagar and Milan Pradhan from Nandigram. After the defeat of the Trinamool Congress in the 2026 assembly elections, the party was left with 80 MLAs, of which more than 65 sided with Mr. Ritabrat Banerjee.

The election is being held as Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, subsequently resigned from the Nandigram seat. A by-election is also scheduled in Rejinagar following Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) leader Humayun Kabir’s decision to vacate the seat. Having won from both Naoda and Rejinagar, Mr. Kabir decided to surrender Rejinagar. His son Golam Nabi Azad is the AJUP candidate from Rejinagar. Bypolls to Nandigram and Rejinagar are scheduled for October 6. The deadline for submitting nominations is September 16.

Published – 13 Sep 2026 23:04 IST