A fresh twist has emerged in the West Bengal bypolls after Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the candidate backed by the Mamata Banerjee led faction of the Trinamool Congress, first announced his withdrawal from the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll and later decided to contest again. The development came on September 19, 2026, just days before the October 6 bypoll.
Chowdhury initially said that the new election symbol given to Mamata Banerjee faction would be difficult for voters to recognise in the short campaign period. He also spoke about pressure on party workers. However, after speaking with Mamata Banerjee and receiving assurances about security, Chowdhury later withdrew his decision to quit the contest. He said he would remain in the electoral race and begin campaigning.
The development follows another major change in Nandigram, where Mamata faction candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination. Mamata faction later announced support for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in that seat. Pradhan was subsequently arrested in connection with old cases. The bypolls are taking place amid a dispute over the TMC name and election symbol. The Election Commission has temporarily assigned separate names and symbols to the two rival factions. Mamata Banerjee has challenged the Election Commission decision in the Supreme Court.
