Mamata faction seeks cancellation of BJP candidate's Nandigram nomination

The Mamata All India Trinamool Congress on Tuesday alleged discrepancies in the affidavit of BJP's October 6 Nandigram by-election candidate Hasirani Rath and demanded cancellation of her nomination. In a post on X, the party's IT and social media wing said the affidavit states she is over 60 and cleared Class 10 in 1965, while the school she names received Class 10 approval in 1973. An official said no complaint had been received. Results are due October 9.

Written by AI from Hindustan Times — India · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 22 Sept 2026, 4:08 pm IST

Source

Hindustan Times — India · read the original report ↗

#nandigram bypoll#mamata banerjee#bjp#trinamool#west bengal#election commission

Desk check · some claims need care

What the desk checked (5)

Rath's affidavit says she is over 60 and that she cleared Class 10 in 1965, while the school she names got Class 10 approval in 1973 — Attributed to the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress IT and social media wing's post on X; not independently confirmed in source
BJP leader Sisir Bajoria said any discrepancies should be complained of to the Election Commission — Direct attribution with quote in source
An unnamed official said no complaint has been received and they are unaware of discrepancies — Attributed to an unnamed official; sourcing is weak
Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested in a murder case linked to the 2007 anti-land acquisition protests — Stated in source without named attribution
By-polls in Nandigram and Rejinagar on October 6, results October 9 — Dates appear in source; internally consistent

Written by AI from Hindustan Times — India · not yet reviewed by an editor · How we use AI · Report an error

Analysts’ view opinion

AI Political Analyst

The Nandigram by-election is a test of political survival for Mamata Banerjee — the first major electoral contest her faction faces after losing power and then seeing the party split. Raising affidavit discrepancies looks less like a legal push and more like a strategic attempt to reclaim the narrative, coming after her own candidate withdrew and the Congress candidate she backed was arrested. Yet an official saying no complaint has been received suggests the charge currently lives on the political stage rather than in the electoral process.

Nandigram is the emotional capital of Mamata's rise through the 2007 land-acquisition agitation, so not even fielding her own candidate there is a heavy symbolic loss.
Withdrawing her nominee and backing the Congress candidate signals a faction no longer confident of contesting alone and now dependent on alliances.
Flagging the affidavit lets her camp question the BJP's choice of candidate and pre-build a grievance narrative that can cushion a defeat.
The BJP's "file a complaint, let the ECI decide" line is the standard move to push a dispute into technical process and drain it of political heat.
Two rival names and symbols allotted by the ECI (football versus envelope) risk splitting the old Trinamool vote — an indirect gain for the principal opponent.

What to watch — Watch the October 9 vote shares — specifically how the candidate Mamata's faction backed performs against the rival faction, which will be the real measure of her standing.

The story does not establish whether the affidavit allegations are accurate, what the candidate's response is, or what the ECI will do — nor does it settle the merits of the arrest case.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 8 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

Nandigram, a politically symbolic seat in West Bengal since the 2007 anti-land acquisition protests, goes to a by-election on October 6 after Suvendu Adhikari — now West Bengal chief minister, who won two assembly seats in May — chose to retain Bhabanipur and vacate Nandigram. The by-polls in Nandigram and Rejinagar are the first major electoral test for Mamata Banerjee after she lost power and her party split into two factions recognised separately by the Election Commission of India. Her faction, the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, has now alleged discrepancies in the affidavit of the BJP candidate, Hasirani Rath, and demanded cancellation of her nomination.

Key facts

The Mamata All India Trinamool Congress on Tuesday alleged discrepancies in the affidavit of BJP's Nandigram candidate Hasirani Rath and demanded cancellation of her nomination.
Its IT and social media wing said on X that the affidavit states Rath is over 60 and cleared Class 10 in 1965, while the school she names received Class 10 approval only in 1973.
By-polls in Nandigram and Rejinagar are on October 6; results will be declared on October 9.
Hasirani Rath is the mother of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Suvendu Adhikari, who was murdered days before the BJP formed the government in West Bengal in May.
The Mamata faction's candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew after meeting CM Suvendu Adhikari, and the faction backed Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, who was arrested hours later in a two-decade-old murder case linked to the 2007 protests.
BJP leader Sisir Bajoria said any discrepancies should be taken to the ECI; an official said no complaint had been received so far.
The ECI allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" with the football player symbol, and the rival faction "Democratic Trinamool Congress" with the envelope symbol.
In 2007, 14 people were killed in police firing in Nandigram during protests against land acquisition for a chemical project permitted by the then Left Front government.

Timeline

2007Protests in Nandigram against land acquisition for a chemical project; 14 people killed in police firing.
2011Mamata Banerjee came to power, ousting the Left Front after 34 years.
2021Banerjee left Bhabanipur to contest Nandigram against Adhikari after his defection to the BJP; she lost by 1,956 votes but her party won a landslide.
May (year as stated: BJP's first sweep in West Bengal)BJP swept to power in West Bengal for the first time; Adhikari won two assembly seats; Chandranath Rath murdered days before government formation; TMC's Falta candidate Jahangir Khan withdrew from the assembly re-poll, which BJP won by a record margin.
2026Adhikari defeated Banerjee in Bhabanipur.
Tuesday (before the poll)Mamata faction alleges affidavit discrepancies and seeks cancellation of Rath's nomination; BJP asks them to approach the ECI.
October 6By-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
October 9Results to be declared.

Who has a stake

Mamata Banerjee and the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress — First major electoral test after losing power and a party split; contesting with a new name and the football player symbol.
BJP and candidate Hasirani Rath — Defending the Nandigram seat vacated by Adhikari; faces allegations of false information in her nomination affidavit.
Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal Chief Minister — Won two seats in May, retained Bhabanipur and vacated Nandigram, making the by-poll necessary; his prestige is tied to the outcome.
Election Commission of India — Authority to decide on any complaint over affidavit discrepancies; already allotted names and symbols to the two TMC factions.
Congress candidate Milan Pradhan — Backed by the Mamata faction after its own candidate withdrew; arrested hours later in a two-decade-old murder case.
Democratic Trinamool Congress (rival faction) — Allotted the envelope symbol; competing for the TMC's political legacy.

Why it matters

Nandigram has been the emotional and political fulcrum of West Bengal politics for nearly two decades, from the 2007 land acquisition firing to the 2021 Banerjee-Adhikari contest. The October 6 by-poll is the first test of whether Mamata Banerjee retains mass support after losing power and seeing her party split, with the ECI having formally divided names and symbols. The affidavit dispute also spotlights how candidate disclosure norms and the ECI's scrutiny powers shape contests at the margins.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

By-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar held on October 6; results declared October 9.
ECI allotted "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" the football player symbol and "Democratic Trinamool Congress" the envelope symbol.
Nandigram by-poll necessitated after Suvendu Adhikari, winner of two assembly seats in May, retained Bhabanipur.
In 2007 Nandigram land acquisition protests, 14 people died in police firing under the Left Front government.
Left Front ruled West Bengal for 34 years before Mamata Banerjee's 2011 victory.
In 2021, Banerjee lost Nandigram to Adhikari by 1,956 votes.

Mains framing

The Nandigram by-poll compresses several strands of Indian electoral politics into one constituency: the long shadow of land acquisition conflict, the personalisation of party politics, and the institutional questions that arise when a party splits. The 2007 firing that killed 14 people made Nandigram a symbol of anti-acquisition resistance and helped end 34 years of Left Front rule in 2011; the same terrain later hosted the 2021 Banerjee-Adhikari contest that Banerjee lost by 1,956 votes even as her party swept the state. With power lost and the Trinamool splintered into two ECI-recognised factions with distinct names and symbols, the by-poll becomes a referendum on whose claim to the party's legacy survives. The affidavit controversy — the Mamata faction's claim that the BJP candidate's stated 1965 Class 10 pass predates the school's 1973 Class 10 approval — tests the working of candidate disclosure and nomination scrutiny, where the BJP's position is that the ECI must decide on a formal complaint and officials say none has been filed. The candidate withdrawal after a meeting with the chief minister and the arrest of the Congress candidate hours later further raise questions about the level playing field. The way forward lies in complaints being routed promptly to the ECI, transparent and time-bound scrutiny of affidavits, and restraint in the use of criminal process during an election period.

Key terms

By-election: A poll held to fill a seat that has fallen vacant mid-term, here because Adhikari vacated Nandigram after winning two seats.
Nomination affidavit: Sworn declaration a candidate files with the nomination papers giving details such as age and education; false information can be challenged.
Election Commission of India (ECI): Constitutional body that conducts elections, scrutinises nominations and allots party names and symbols, including to rival factions.
Mamata All India Trinamool Congress: Name allotted by the ECI to the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, with the football player as its symbol.
Democratic Trinamool Congress: Name allotted by the ECI to the rival Trinamool faction, with the envelope as its symbol.
Nandigram 2007 agitation: Protests against land acquisition for a chemical project under the Left Front government in which 14 people were killed in police firing.

Practice questions

Discuss the role of the Election Commission of India in adjudicating disputes over candidate affidavits and in allotting names and symbols when a recognised party splits.
Nandigram illustrates how land acquisition conflicts can reshape state politics. Examine with reference to West Bengal since 2007.
Do withdrawals of candidates and arrests during an election period undermine the level playing field? Suggest safeguards, citing the Nandigram by-poll.

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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