80% voted, but Bengal bypolls burn amid allegations: What happened in Nandigram and Rejinagar?

More than eight in every 10 voters turned out in Bengal’s Nandigram and Rejinagar on Tuesday, but allegations of rigging, voter intimidation, blocked polling agents, and police interference overshadowed the impressive turnout, turning the bypolls into a day of high turnout and high political tension.

Nandigram crossed the 80% mark by 7 pm, even as voters complained they were prevented from entering polling booths.

The constituency, which carries considerable political weight, was vacated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari after he won both Nandigram and Bhowanipore in the May elections.

Confident of a strong performance, Adhikari recalled his 2016 victory and predicted he could surpass his earlier record margin.

‘In 2016, I won by 82,000 votes, my highest margin ever. I believe that record will be broken this time,’ he said.

However, rival candidates sharply criticized the polling process. Congress nominee Milan Pradhan, out on bail in connection with a 2007 case after he filed his nomination, alleged that the election had been ‘looted’.

He accused authorities and rival groups of preventing polling agents from functioning, stopping voters from entering booths, and resorting to assault and vandalism.

CPI and ISF candidate Sabe Mirza Khan also levelled allegations of rigging.

Rejinagar saw a similar mix of strong voter turnout and political confrontation, with turnout around 80%. Here, allegations of police intervention became a major flashpoint.

AJUP chief Humayun Kabir, who relinquished Rejinagar while retaining Nowda after winning both seats in May, was detained after police accused him of attempting to provoke tension in the constituency.

Videos showed police personnel grabbing Kabir by his shirt and taking him away. Police released him after about 12 hours.

Kabir’s son, Golam Nabi Azad, is contesting the Rejinagar bypoll as the AJUP candidate. 

Congress and TMC alleged widespread rigging and claimed that their polling agents were removed from booths. BJP candidate Shankharavh Sarkar also clashed with central forces after they asked him to move away from voters.

Tamil Nadu:

The picture was far less contentious in Tamil Nadu, although turnout was lower than in the April elections. Madurantakam registered 86% polling, compared with 93% in April, while Dharapuram recorded around 80%, down from 89% previously. Both constituencies witnessed three-way contests involving TVK, DMK and AIADMK.

Assam:

In Assam, the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll recorded 76% turnout. The contest has drawn attention with BJP’s Devasish Sharma, Congress candidate Sibamoni Bora and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal among the 15 candidates in the fray.

Puducherry:

Puducherry’s Thattanchavady assembly constituency recorded 78% turnout by 5pm, with the final figure expected to rise.

The contest is being closely watched as a test for the four-month-old NDA government headed by Chief Minister N Rangasamy. His resignation from the constituency had necessitated the bypoll.

Across the four regions, therefore, Tuesday’s polling produced a mixed picture: strong voter participation in several constituencies, but sharply contrasting political narratives over how the voting process unfolded.

The final verdict will come on October 9, when votes are counted across the constituencies.