There is another mentor-protege battle taking place in 2026. Suvendu Adhikari and his former aide, Pabitra Kar, now find themselves on opposite sides, contesting from BJP and Trinamool, respectively.
Formed in 1967, the Nandigram assembly constituency is rural in character. Nearly 97% of its roughly 3.31 lakh population lives in villages. Alongside cultivators, the constituency includes a sizable population of Scheduled Castes (16.46%) and influential caste groups such as Mahishya and Bagdi.
The CPI(M) held the Nandigram seat from 2001 to 2006, before the Trinamool took over in 2011 and 2016 after the protest wave. BJP made a breakthrough in 2021 with Suvendu Adhikari, who is now defending the seat.
TMC rose from about 45% vote share in the early 2000s to 60–67% in 2011–16, while BJP surged to nearly 48% in 2021 as Left support fell below 3%.
The electorate, around 2.75 lakh, is spread across 286 polling stations. The 2021 assembly elections saw a remarkable 88.55% voter turnout.
Nandigram constituency: West Bengal elections 2026 voting date
Polling in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases: April 23 and April 29. Nandigram goes to the polls in the first phase. The results for the 2026 Bengal assembly election will be declared on May 4.
Nandigram constituency: List of candidates 2026
Suvendu Adhikari faces Pabitra Kar, long seen as a close aide and trusted lieutenant of the BJP leader. Kar played a role in building the BJP’s local base and was part of his 2021 campaign machinery.
| Candidate name | Party |
| Suvendu Adhikari | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Pabitra Kar | Trinamool Congress |
| SK Jariatul Hossain | Congress |
Nandigram 2021 assembly election results
In the 2021 elections, Mamata Banerjee contested against former ally Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP in a high-stakes fight.
The margin was razor-thin. Suvendu Adhikari secured 110,764 votes (48.49%), while Mamata Banerjee followed closely with 108,808 votes (47.64%). The final margin, just 1,956 votes, came after recounts.
