Nandigram: Pabitra Kar factor reshapes bipolar battle as deletions add new twist

Nandigram: Nandigram is set for a high-stakes contest, with BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari defending his seat against former associate and Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Pabitra Sarkar. Other candidates from Congress, CPI, and ISF are expected to have limited impact, making it largely a bipolar battle.

A twist emerged on Wednesday as two complaints were filed against Kar—one at Nandigram Police Station over an alleged assault, and another by the Election Commission of India for not resigning as a BJP Panchayat member. It remains to be seen how this affects his candidature. Meanwhile, a perception in Nandigram suggests Suvendu Adhikari may have played a role in fielding an ISF candidate to split Muslim votes.

Nandigram in the 2026 polls is shaping into a tightly micro-managed, booth-level contest. A local TMC leader noted that if Kar wins, he would become the first “son of the soil” MLA from Nandigram II representing a right-wing party in nearly six decades—since Congress leader Prabir Jana. Whether the son of the soil image of Kar will dash the electoral fortune of Adhikari will be clear on May 4.

Kar’s candidature has cut into the BJP’s traditional support base in various pockets of Nandigram II block, particularly in Boyal I & II, areas where Kar had secured a lead of around 3,500 for the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha. TMC’s vote share, which had dropped during the 2021 Assembly polls, appears to be recovering due to the consolidation of anti-BJP votes and renewed grassroots mobilisation of Kar, particularly in Nandigram II.

Kar is seen as a key strategist with deep knowledge of Nandigram’s caste dynamics, voter clusters, and the BJP’s internal machinery. A member of Hindu Samhati and Sanatani Sena, he also maintains strong ties with RSS leaders in areas like Sonachura and Gokulnagar. He played a crucial role in consolidating the BJP’s base in 2021.

By fielding him, the TMC appears to be making a calculated move to consolidate Hindu voters, particularly in Sonachura, which had provided Suvendu Adhikari with his winning margin in the last election.

For the BJP, the key challenge remains maintaining organisational cohesion. Allegations have surfaced that Suvendu Adhikari has been employing multiple tactics, including distributing money, attempting to polarise Hindu voters, and resorting to intimidation. Meanwhile, TMC claims its Panchayat-level leaders are being arrested by police on various pretexts, adding to tensions on the ground. A TMC leader from Boyal I said Kar currently holds an edge, but the outcome could hinge on whether Suvendu Adhikari executes any “major plans” during the elections. Nandigram remains overwhelmingly rural, with about 97 per cent of its population living in villages. The electorate of roughly 2.75 lakh includes a notable Scheduled Caste population (16.46%) and influential communities like the Mahishya and Bagdi, which often makes the difference in tightly contested polls.

In 2021, Nandigram had over 68,000 Muslim voters, accounting for roughly 26 per cent of the electorate. An overwhelming 95 per cent of the names have been removed from the supplementary electoral lists are Muslims, despite the community accounting for only about 26 per cent of the Constituency’s electorate in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Over 14,000 names have been deleted from electoral rolls. Deletion of Musilm votes may give an edge to Adhikari. Out of 17 Gram Panchayats in Nandigram, BJP has 10 and TMC 7.