Kolkata: Shifting loyalties, BJP’s strengthened organisational management, and allegations of skewed SIR voter deletions appear to have added additional layers of intrigue to Nandigram, making the high-stakes contest on this key seat one of the intently watched in West Bengal’s Meeting polls.
Within the night of Could 2, 2021, when Nandigram’s Returning Officer introduced BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari’s victory over Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee by a razor-thin margin of 1,956 votes, the second marked the start of an important chapter within the State’s politics.
Mr. Adhikari bagged greater than 1.1 lakh votes to humble the State’s most recognised chief, enhancing the BJP’s tally by multiple lakh votes from the 2016 polls by overcoming the drawback of not having even one of many 17 gram panchayats or the 2 panchayat samitis which make up the Nandigram seat.
He jumped ship from the TMC on December 19, 2020, and barely had three months then to show the tide in his favour.
“Within the final 5 years, much more water has flowed down the Haldi river, which circumvents Nandigram, with the BJP now controlling 11 of the 17 GPs and each panchayat samitis of Nandigram I and II blocks, giving Adhikari, the chief of Opposition within the Meeting, an important benefit within the 2026 polls,” observers say.
Within the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP vastly improved its Nandigram Meeting phase efficiency, by securing a lead of 8,200 votes, and a 49.49% vote share as towards TMC’s 45.87%.
Nandigram goes to the polls within the first part of elections in Bengal on April 23.
