Saiful Islam, who contested the Rejinagar assembly bypoll as an independent, has been arrested under a 2021 poll‑clash case that remains pending after five years. The arrest was carried out by the police on the eve of the 6 October bypolls.
The move follows the recent detention of Congress’s Nandigram candidate, who was held on a separate land‑acquisition agitation case. Both arrests highlight the increasing scrutiny over electoral conduct in West Bengal.
The bypolls were called after the Rejinagar and Nandigram constituencies fell vacant following the 2026 assembly elections. The elections are expected to be closely watched by political parties and the electorate alike.
