New Delhi, 15 September (H.S.): l The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday announced its candidates for the upcoming by-elections to the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies in West Bengal. For the high-profile Nandigram seat, the BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of Chandranath Rath, the late personal assistant (PA) of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. For the Rejinagar seat in Murshidabad, the party has nominated Shakharav Sarkar.

According to a release issued on Tuesday by BJP office-bearer Tarun Chugh, the Central Election Committee has selected Hasirani Rath as the party’s candidate from Nandigram.

The by-elections to both seats will be held on October 6, while September 16 is the last date for filing nominations.

It may be noted that the Nandigram seat fell vacant following the resignation of Suvendu Adhikari. In the Assembly elections, Adhikari had won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur. He later resigned from the Nandigram seat, as a legislator can represent only one constituency.

With the BJP fielding Hasirani Rath, the Nandigram by-election has become even more keenly contested. The Trinamool Congress, with different factions in the constituency, along with the Left Front and the Congress, have also fielded their candidates. Polling for both seats will be held on October 6.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar