Nandigram, October 9: Counting of votes for the Nandigram Assembly by-election began on Friday amid tight security, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Hasirani Rath leading in the initial trends, according to Election Commission figures.
As per the early counting data, Hasirani Rath secured 11,965 votes, putting her more than 9,500 votes ahead of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan. The counting process is underway, and the final result will depend on the completion of all rounds.
Nandigram, located in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, went to the polls on October 6. The constituency recorded a voter turnout of 80.89 per cent, reflecting substantial participation in the by-election.
The seat fell vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who had won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, retained Bhabanipur and gave up the Nandigram seat.
Heavy security arrangements have been made at the counting centres to ensure that the counting process proceeds peacefully. Personnel have been deployed around the centres, with authorities maintaining close supervision as the results emerge.
The by-election has attracted considerable political attention as one of the early electoral contests in West Bengal following the change of government in May 2026. The BJP came to power in the state after defeating the Trinamool Congress government, which had been in office for 15 years.
The contest also witnessed political developments in the run-up to polling. Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who was fielded by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction, withdrew her nomination after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Following her withdrawal, Mamata Banerjee announced support for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan.
Milan Pradhan was subsequently arrested in connection with cases relating to the 2007 violence in Nandigram. He was later granted bail by the Calcutta High Court.
The counting trends are being closely watched by political parties as they assess the electoral mood in the constituency. However, early leads can change as additional rounds are counted, and the final outcome will be clear only after the Election Commission completes the counting process and declares the result.
Security personnel remain deployed at the counting centres as officials continue processing the votes.
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