Calcutta High Court Dismisses Congress Plea Against Nandigram BJP Candidate Hasirani Rath

The Calcutta High Court has dismissed the Congress petition challenging the nomination of BJP candidate Hasirani Rath for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

According to an Anandabazar report published on September 29, 2026, the Congress had approached the court over alleged discrepancies in Rath's election affidavit relating to her age and educational qualification, and had sought cancellation of her nomination.

The central issue raised in the petition was the apparent inconsistency between Rath's declaration that she was over 60 and the reference in the affidavit to her passing the Madhyamik examination in 1965. Congress had cited the entries as an apparent discrepancy.

The High Court had completed arguments in the matter on September 25 and reserved its order. During the earlier proceedings, the Election Commission argued that objections to nomination papers are ordinarily raised during scrutiny and that the later challenge raised procedural questions. The BJP had said the 1965 reference was a typographical error and that there was no discrepancy in Rath's age.

With the latest order, the petition seeking cancellation of Rath's nomination has been dismissed. The Nandigram Assembly bypoll is scheduled for October 6, with results due on October 9.

Source: Anandabazar Patrika. Report published on September 29, 2026.