Bengal Elections 2026: Nandigram Makes For A High-Voltage Battle Ground As SIR Deletions Court Controversy

Nandigram, with its layered and complex political history, witnessed the headlining contest in 2021, when Mamata Banerjee squared off against turncoat leader Suvendu Adhikari. This time, Nandigram stands be a crucial seat for both camps again as the constituency grapples with religious polarisation, targeted deletions and SIR-anxiety.

Updated on: 18 April 2026 6:15 pm

Published at: 18 April 2026 6:11 pm

In Kenda Mari village of Bengal's Nandigram constituency, a huge percentage of Muslim women voters have been deleted, most of whom possess all necessary documents. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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Deleted Voters at Kendamari Village Nandigram

In Kenda Mari village of Bengal's Nandigram constituency, an overwhelming majority of voters deleted after the SIR are Muslim women, most of them possessing all necessary documents. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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In Kenda Mari village of Bengal's Nandigram constituency, an overwhelming majority of voters deleted after SIR are Muslims who have been purged on the grounds of their parents having five or more children. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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Deleted women voters of Nandigram's Kenda Mari village await justice with final electoral rolls to be released on April 21. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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In Hindu-majority pockets of Nandigram's Basuli Chak, people have been affected by intense religious polarisation. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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Nandigram, which goes to polls on April 23, sees a visual contrast of Jai Shree Ram and Joy Bangla flags. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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In Nandigram's Hindu majority villages, an ideological strife separates the BJP's Hindutva iconography and TMC's Bengali-Hindu ethos. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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In Kenda Mari village of Bengal's Nandigram constituency, an overwhelming majority of voters deleted after the SIR are Muslims, most of them possessing all necessary documents. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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Wall inscriptions are essential elements of Nandigram, with its complex political history. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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In Suvendu Adhikari's claimed bastion, Nandigram, Jai Shree Ram flags make for an umbrella across the constituency. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK

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Nandigram, which goes to polls on April 23, sees a visual contrast of BJP's Jai Shree Ram and TMC's Joy Bangla flags. | Photos: Sandipan Chatterjee/OUTLOOK