India, Sept. 16 -- Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday claimed that the BJP would win the Nandigram by-elections by a record margin while fielding the mother of his slain personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, from the seat. Chandranath was murdered on May 6 in the political violence that followed the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election.

Locals at Nandigram said Hasirani Rath's candidature could swing the vote entirely in the BJP's favour as it would give her campaign an emotive edge over the other parties, particularly against the Left, which had come up as the main Opposition after the Trinamool Congress broke into three factions. Hasirani has previous experience of contesting elections, twice as a panchayat member and once as a panchayat samiti...