The Nandigram assembly constituency is going to be one of the most keenly watched seats in West Bengal, as it is considered the bastion of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is seeking a third straight term here in this year's assembly elections in the state.
Banking on his popularity among the locals, Adhikari is confident of his victory in Nandigram. Many analysts and poll experts have also suggested that winning Nandigram is likely going to be a cakewalk for Adhikari, but they also point out that he may face a stiff challenge from Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Pabitra Kar.
Other than Kar, the contest in Nandigram also included Congress leader Sheikh Jariatul Hossain and Indian Secular Front (ISF) candidate Md Sabe Miraj Ali Khan.
Who is winning in the Nandigram assembly constituency?
According to the early trends, BJP heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari is leading in the Nandigram assembly constituency, which is considered to be his bastion.
The demography of Nandigram
The polling here in Nandigram was held in the first phase on April 23. The constituency comes under the Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency and is part of the Purba Medinipur district.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Nandigram had a total of 2,57,999 registered voters in 2021. This included 1,34,085 male voters and 1,23,913 female voters, along with one voter from the third gender category. The constituency also recorded 2,106 postal votes and 843 service voters.
In 2016, the Nandigram constituency had a total electorate of 2,31,866 voters. This included 1,20,448 male voters and 1,11,418 female voters, with no voters registered under the third gender category. The constituency recorded 811 valid postal ballots, and there were 1,337 registered service voters.
What happened in the 2021 Bengal elections?
In the 2021 West Bengal elections, Adhikari won the seat of Nandigram narrowly against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after receiving 1,10,764 votes. Banerjee, who was forced to go for a by-poll to get elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, had received 1,08,808 votes in a closely fought contest.
