Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the Trinamool candidate for the Rejinagar Assembly by‑poll, withdrew his nomination on Saturday, 22 September, then reversed the decision hours later. He had earlier cited the loss of the party symbol and mounting pressure on workers to vote for the BJP. Chowdhury told Times Now that he feared workers would be arrested if he remained on the ballot. The sudden flip‑flop comes as the seat, vacated after Humayun Kabir's resignation, is set to be decided in a tight race.
The move underscores the turmoil within the Trinamool Congress, which is split over the party's name and symbol. The Election Commission’s interim order bars both factions from using the TMC logo until a decision is reached. This uncertainty has left voters in Rejinagar – a region known for its agrarian base – confused about which slate to support.
Earlier this month, Sanchita Pradhan Dey of the same faction withdrew after a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, only to see Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, arrested later that day, step into the fray. The arrests added another layer of tension to an already fraught electoral landscape. Chowdhury’s reversal may be an attempt to reclaim lost ground and secure the votes that had slipped to rival parties. Analysts say the candidate’s back‑and‑forth could influence voter turnout.
A party worker, who had been canvassing in Rejinagar’s villages, said he felt pressure from state officials to shift his support to the BJP. He added that Chowdhury’s last‑minute decision “gave us a glimmer of hope that the Trinamool voice could still be heard.”
Polling will take place on October 6, with vote counting scheduled for October 9. The Election Commission has indicated that the entire process will conclude by October 11. The outcome will determine whether the Trinamool faction can regain influence in this key constituency.