BJP’S BYPOLL DOMINANCE TRIGGERS ‘VOTE LOOT’ CHARGES AS SUVENDU CLAIMS MUSLIM VOTERS ARE SHIFTING SIDES
October 9, 2026
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s sweeping victories in the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls in West Bengal have triggered allegations of electoral manipulation from the opposition, with CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim branding the outcome the ruling party’s “platinum model” and Congress candidate Milan Pradhan accusing the Election Commission of failing to ensure a fair contest.
The BJP established commanding leads in both constituencies on Friday, with its victory in Muslim-majority Rejinagar attracting particular political attention. The results also highlighted the opposition’s electoral setbacks, as Left candidates finished fifth in Rejinagar and a distant third in Nandigram.
Salim alleged that the results were not a genuine reflection of electoral competition but the consequence of what he described as “vote loot”. Drawing a comparison with the opposition’s disparaging reference to the Trinamool Congress’s dominance in Abhishek Banerjee’s Diamond Harbour constituency, he called the BJP’s alleged electoral strategy the “platinum model”. He claimed that Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had announced the victory margins even before polling took place, alleging that irregularities had predetermined the outcome.
The CPI(M) leader also criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of compromising the integrity of the electoral process. He argued that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls had deprived people of their voting rights and reiterated the party’s demand for Kumar’s resignation. Salim alleged that the poll panel had failed to protect free and fair elections and accused the government of shielding the chief election commissioner.
Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, who contested from Nandigram, described the outcome as a “black day” for democracy. He alleged that votes had been looted and complained that there had been no effective avenue for redress. Pradhan further accused the Election Commission of working in collusion with the BJP, a charge that remains an opposition allegation.
Salim extended his criticism beyond the bypolls, condemning the security restrictions imposed in Delhi ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s planned protest against the chief election commissioner at Jantar Mantar on October 10. He described the situation as an undeclared Emergency, alleging that the administration was attempting to prevent protesters from reaching the national capital.
He also referred to the reported attack on the residence of CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, arguing that the incident reflected a wider deterioration in political security. Salim claimed that intimidation directed at minorities had expanded into a broader atmosphere of insecurity affecting both minority and majority communities.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, meanwhile, presented the BJP’s electoral performance as evidence of a shift among minority voters. He claimed that Muslims had increasingly come to regard the BJP as a political ally and asserted that the party secured approximately 60 per cent of Muslim votes in Rejinagar and 80 per cent in Nandigram. Adhikari said minority voters had supported the BJP because they wanted to stand with the government, adding that he expected the party’s vote share to rise further in future elections.
The contrasting claims have turned the two bypolls into a fresh political confrontation over electoral credibility and the BJP’s appeal among minority voters. While Adhikari has interpreted the results as a sign of changing political preferences, the CPI(M) and Congress have questioned the fairness of the process. Their allegations have intensified the debate over the Election Commission’s role, voter rights and the political consequences of the BJP’s expanding electoral dominance in West Bengal.
