Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 9: The BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani on Friday thanked voters for BJP’s win in by-polls and said the democracy has given befitting reply to the Opposition’s ‘mobocracy’. “Today, democracy has responded to the mobocracy. We are delighted with the victory of the BJP candidate in the Lok Sabha bypolls. The BJP also won from West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry,” she said.
She said the BJP won in Nandigram, Rejinagar, where the minority community has a higher population. On January 15, 2025, the outgoing Congress president had said they were fighting against the Indian state, not the BJP. Since then, they have been attacking our constitutional institutions, she said.
The development comes as the BJP on Friday won Nandigram and Muslim-majority Rejinagar. BJP’s Hansi Rani Rath, mother of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s former aide Chandranath Rath, defeated her nearest rival and Congress leader Milan Pradhan by a margin of 1,227,53 votes or 75 per cent of the vote share in Nandigram.
Rath received 1,644,27 votes, while Pradhan secured 41,674 votes, according to the data shared by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Santi Gopal Giri received 5,779 votes, and All India Secular Front (AISF) leader Ali Mohammed Sabse Miraj Khan secured 1,607 votes.
Nandigram, which falls in the Purba Medinipur district and is part of the Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency, was Adhikari’s bastion, who has won this thrice: 2016, 2021 and 2026. However, he vacated the seat and retained the Bhabanipur constituency where he defeated former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the 2026 West Bengal elections.
The Nandigram byelection was largely a contest between the BJP and the INDIA bloc after Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress supported Congress candidate Milan Pradhan after its nominee Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her name following a meeting with Adhikari. Adhikari had won Nandigram by 9,665 votes while also winning Bhabanipur in south Kolkata. He vacated the former seat, necessitating the by-election.
Rath’s candidature added an emotional dimension to the bypoll after her son Chandranath was shot dead on May 6, two days after the BJP won the assembly elections. Her commanding lead has given the ruling party an opportunity to consolidate its position in a constituency closely associated with the chief minister’s political journey.
Moreover, BJP’s Shankharavh Sarkar on Friday won the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll in West Bengal, defeating Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) candidate Golam Nabi Azad alias Robin by 75,816 votes. Sarkar secured 1,29,914 votes, accounting for 63.14 per cent of the votes polled, while Azad received 54,098 votes (26.29 per cent).
Congress candidate Abdullahil Kafi finished third with 6,168 votes (3 per cent), followed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) nominee Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, who received 3,847 votes (1.87 per cent). Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Md Sayeed secured 3,797 votes (1.85 per cent), while Democratic Trinamool Congress candidate Saifuzzaman Saikh received 2,044 votes (0.99 per cent).
Meanwhile, the BJP government at the Centre on Friday alleged before the Supreme Court that female police personnel were molested and injured during a protest led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi earlier this week. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta made the submission while referring to visuals of the demonstration and claimed that police personnel were also subjected to verbal abuse. “Please see visuals from two days ago. Lady police officers have been molested and injured,” Mehta told the court. He said the police personnel had acted responsibly despite the alleged misconduct. Mehta also argued that the protest was unlawful because the organisers had not obtained permission for it.
The remarks came amid continuing protests by INDIA bloc leaders against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. Opposition MPs were stopped by police on Wednesday while attempting to march towards Jantar Mantar, triggering intense scenes in the national capital.
Rahul Gandhi was detained and taken to Barakhamba Road Police Station after he was seen attempting to open a barricaded gate during the demonstration. The protest was part of the Opposition’s campaign demanding Mr Kumar’s resignation over allegations concerning the electoral process. The Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have rejected the Opposition’s allegations. The claims of electoral irregularities remain contested, with opposition leaders continuing to press for action against the CEC.
Following the confrontation, Delhi Police said it had registered three FIRs in connection with the protest, adding that more cases could be filed. The cases reportedly concern allegations of assault on police personnel, obstruction of government work, pushing, manhandling and misbehaviour with police officers.
The names of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also figure in the details associated with the cases. The registration of FIRs marks the initiation of criminal proceedings, but the allegations will have to be established through the legal process. The Centre’s submission before the Supreme Court has brought the alleged conduct during the protest into focus as the legal proceedings over restrictions on demonstrations in Delhi continue.