The area holds historic importance for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), rooted in the 2007 Nandigram movement led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which contributed to ending long-standing Left Front rule in the state.

Suvendu Adhikari, the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Nandigram, was a key figure in the original Nandigram movement that facilitated the rise of the TMC to power. The conflict lasted 18 months and arose amid government land acquisition plans under the Left regime to establish a chemical hub in Purba Medinipur. Police firing during protests resulted in 14 civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries.

The Nandigram movement is regarded alongside Singur and Lalgarh movements as pivotal in the protests that led to the TMC’s ascendance and the Left Front’s ouster. Mamata Banerjee maintains strong influence across West Bengal, while Suvendu Adhikari and his family are dominant in Purba Medinipur and Tamluk regions.

The Adhikari family has been a significant political force in Purba Medinipur. Sisir Adhikari, the family patriarch, represented the Kanthi seat for the TMC from 2009 until 2021, when the family shifted allegiance to the BJP. The family’s prominence continues through Suvendu Adhikari, current MLA from Nandigram; Divyendu Adhikari, former MP; and Soumendu Adhikari, current MP from Kanthi.

Suvendu Adhikari first won the 2016 Nandigram seat as a TMC candidate. After shifting to the BJP, he defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram at the 2021 elections. Since then, he has been a leading BJP voice opposing Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal.

In the forthcoming election, the BJP has again nominated Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, where he will be challenged by Pabitra Kar of the TMC. The Congress candidate is Sekh Jariatul Hossain, while Shanti Giri represents the Communist Party of India.

Key issues influencing voters include unresolved cases of post-poll violence, inadequate connectivity between Haldia and Nandigram, unemployment, and the need for improved facilities for fish and betel farmers. Nandigram has also experienced electoral violence in the past.

Ahead of the election, electoral officials including the CEO, Collector and SP engaged with local residents to address concerns and assured that measures have been taken to prevent violence. Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed to maintain security during polling.

In 2021, Suvendu Adhikari narrowly defeated Mamata Banerjee by 1,956 votes, receiving 110,764 votes to her 108,808. In contrast, in 2016 he won by a margin of 81,230 votes against CPI candidate Abdul Kabir Sekh. The 2026 election will also feature a direct contest between Suvendu Adhikari and Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur seat, held by Banerjee since 2011.

The 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, conducted in eight phases, resulted in a landslide win for the Trinamool Congress with 213 seats, while the BJP increased its tally to 77 seats. The Congress and Left Front did not secure any seats. West Bengal’s polling for the 2026 elections is scheduled for April 23 and 29, with counting set for May 4.