Polls close to 80% in West Bengal polls as opposition claims malpractices; Humayun Kabir arrested

In the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly by-elections in West Bengal on Tuesday (October 6, 2026), nearly 80% voting took place till evening. However, opposition parties raised allegations of electoral malpractice and the Congress demanded retaliation in both constituencies. In Rejinagar, Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) leader Humayun Kabir was arrested from his party office.

At 5.30 pm, the voting percentage in Nandigram was 79.39% and in Rejinagar 78.42%. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal received 97 official complaints on election day.

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Nearly 19,000 people from these constituencies, whose names were struck off the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state and then subject to legal proceedings, could not vote in the House elections earlier this year as well as during the Tuesday (October 6, 2026) by-election as their cases remain pending.

Unprofessional statement

Leaders from the Congress, Mamata Trinamool Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) have leveled allegations of voter intimidation, fake voting, booth capturing and other issues in both constituencies. Nandigram is in Purba Medinipur district and Rejinagar is in Murshidabad.

Congress state president Subhankar Sarkar, who submitted a representation to the West Bengal chief executive’s office, sought cancellation of the Nandigram and Rejinagar elections and called for a re-poll.

ONLY IN | Aam Janata Party Chief Unnayan Humayun Kabir detained, taken away from their party office in Rejinagar, Murshidabad in a police vehicle. He got into a verbal altercation with police before being arrested. During the verbal altercation, the police told him he couldn’t be there because it was election day. “Don’t work as their go-between. Don’t vote for the sick. You are doing work for thieves. I will not go home,” said Kabir. He was taken to Rejinagar police station. – News @Shrabanawrites 🎥 Special Arrangement Follow Live Updates here: https://t.co/4JgZNMX5HR

— The Hindu (@the_hindu) October 6, 2026

West Bengal Congress leaders alleged that voters faced problems in multiple polling stations in Nandigram, including voter intimidation, booth hijacking, proxy voting and electronic voting machine (EVM) failure issues.

Nandigram Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, who was arrested last month in connection with the 2007 cases and then released just days before the by-election, has leveled allegations of stall capture. “They don’t let people vote because then it goes down in history,” Mr. Pradhan said.

The Congress also wrote several emails to the police and the general observer demanding immediate action. The party also claimed that its block president Asraful Tulla, who was camping outside his stall in Nandigram Anchal, was detained at the Nandigram police station.

TMC’s Mamata said in a social media post, “Bengal election process is TOTALLY IGNORED by @BJP4Bengal administration!”

Humayun Kabir arrested

AJUP leader and Naoda MLA Mr Kabir got into a physical and verbal altercation with the police who then forcibly removed him from his party office in Rejinagar. “He has broken the law, so he has been arrested. I will not comment further on that,” Sub-Divisional Police Officer Anandajit Hore said after Mr Kabir’s arrest.

During the verbal altercation, the police told him he couldn’t be there because it was election day. “Don’t work as their go-between. Don’t vote for the sick. You are working for thieves. I will not go home,” said Mr. Kabir. He was then taken to Rejinagar police station.

Mr. Kabir won the Rejinagar and Naoda seats on 4 May 2026 and decided to retain Naoda. His party has fielded his son Golam Nabi Azad as its candidate for the by-election. From the beginning of the campaign, Mr. Kabir allegedly intimidated the AJUP candidate.

BJP confident

BJP’s Nandigram candidate Hasirani Rath, mother of former personal assistant to chief minister Suvenda Adhikari, who was killed earlier this year, offered prayers on election day. “Our honorable Chief Minister, who has been the Chief Minister for five months, has already completed most of the development work in Nandigram. This time, when I am elected, we will think about what else we can do for development,” said Rath.

Mr. Adhikari expressed confidence that the BJP would win both the seats. On allegations of electoral malpractice, the chief minister asked if the opposition had any evidence for its claims. He also cast his vote in Nandigram, a seat he won in the elections earlier this year along with Bhabanipur. He retained Bhabanipur and left Nandigram, necessitating a by-election.

Published – 06 Oct 2026 10:52 IST