Mamata-led Trinamool Congress names candidates for bypolls

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

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

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

Ms. Banerjee had contested and lost the Nandigram Assembly polls in 2021 to Suvendu Adhikari with a narrow margin. The by-polls will be held at a time when the Mamata faction and Ritabrata Banerjee faction are contesting over the the party symbol of grass and twin flowers. Leaders from both the factions met Election Commission (EC) officials in Delhi staking claim over the symbol. The leaders of the Ritabrata Banerjee faction have said that if the EC does not give the group Trinamool symbol the party will field candidates as independents.

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

The bypolls are being held as Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, subsequently gave up the Nandigram seat. The byelection is also scheduled in Rejinagar following the decision of Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) leader Humayun Kabir to vacate the seat. Mr. Kabir, who had won from both Naoda and Rejinagar, decided to give up Rejinagar. His son Golam Nabi Azad is the AJUP candidate from Rejinagar. The bypolls to Nandigram and Rejinagar are scheduled for October 6. The last date for filing nominations is September 16.