Bengal bypolls: BJP widens leads in Nandigram, Rejinagar; Congress in second place

KOLKATA: BJP candidates on Friday widened their leads in Nandigram and Rejinagar seats of West Bengal, where counting of votes was underway for the assembly by-elections, while the Congress emerged as the runner-up in both constituencies, according to early trends.

BJP's Hasirani Rath was leading by 9,600 votes at the end of the first round of counting in Nandigram, while Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was in second place, as per the trends indicated by news channels.

In Rejinagar, Sakharav Sarkar secured 11,614 votes after the second round, while Congress candidate Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi was at a distant second with 581 votes. Aam Janata Unnayan Party candidate Gulam Nabi Azad polled 446 votes, according to the trends shown by news channels.

The Election Commission is yet to release official figures confirming the leads.

Counting began at 8 am amid tight security at the counting centres. The bypolls, held on Tuesday, are being watched as an early electoral test of West Bengal's political landscape following the BJP's victory in the Assembly elections earlier this year.

Nandigram fell vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, retained the latter. The BJP fielded Rath, the mother of his slain personal assistant Chandranath Rath.

In Rejinagar, the seat fell vacant after AJUP founder Humayun Kabir retained Naoda, where he had also won. His son, Gulam Nabi Azad, is contesting the bypoll.