The BJP has named Hasirani Rath as its candidate for the Nandigram Assembly by-election in West Bengal, ending speculation over who would contest the politically significant seat.

Hasirani Rath is the mother of late Chandranath Rath, who had served as a personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. She is scheduled to file her nomination papers in the presence of Adhikari.

The BJP has also nominated Shakharav Sarkar for the Rejinagar Assembly constituency. The by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar are scheduled for October 6, while September 16 is the last date for filing nominations.

BJP picks Chandranath Rath’s mother

Chandranath Rath, a native of Chandipur in East Midnapore, had worked as Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant. He was killed on May 6, two days after the West Bengal Assembly election results were declared.

According to the report, Chandranath Rath was shot at close range by motorcycle-borne attackers in Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas while he was riding pillion. The rider accompanying him was also injured.

After the incident, Suvendu Adhikari met Chandranath Rath’s family and assured them of justice. Hasirani Rath has since continued to express her faith in Adhikari.

Local residents had earlier demanded that Hasirani Rath be fielded from Nandigram. The BJP has now formally nominated her for the constituency, which is listed as Assembly Constituency No. 210.

Hasirani Rath’s political background

Hasirani Rath comes from a middle-class background and has been associated with politics since 1998. She has previously contested panchayat elections and served as a panchayat member for two terms.

Her nomination puts a grassroots political figure at the centre of the BJP’s campaign in Nandigram. The move also follows the party’s recent selection of candidates with personal connections to politically significant events in West Bengal.

Nandigram bypoll on October 6

The Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly by-elections will be held on October 6, with the nomination process set to close on September 16.

Hasirani Rath said she would accept the responsibility assigned to her by the BJP. She also referred to Suvendu Adhikari as her guardian while speaking about her candidature.

The Nandigram contest is particularly significant for the BJP as the seat was previously held by Suvendu Adhikari, who retained another constituency after winning both seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election.

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat has resigned from two organisational positions in the Congress after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at the premises of his personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena.

Rawat announced his decision on Friday, saying he did not want the controversy surrounding his close associate to weaken the Congress’s campaign against corruption. He stepped down as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee.

The ED searches were linked to a money laundering investigation concerning alleged irregularities in the 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC).

What ED recovered from Rawat’s aide

The ED carried out searches at multiple locations in Dehradun, including premises connected with former UKSSSC officials, a private computer agency involved in processing OMR sheets and alleged middlemen.

According to the agency, its search of Jeena’s residence resulted in the seizure of Rs 32 lakh in unaccounted cash, gold coins and chains weighing around 200.5 grams, and 12 luxury watches.

The gold comprised 13 coins and seven chains. The watches included brands such as Rolex, Rado, Piaget, Movado, Tissot and Casio Edifice, according to the ED.

The agency also said bank accounts belonging to Jeena and his family members containing Rs 52.16 lakh were frozen. His mobile phone was seized for forensic examination.

The ED alleged that Jeena had made substantial cash expenditures for which no legitimate source of income could be established. It also said unaccounted cash, jewellery and other valuables were recovered from some former UKSSSC officials and associated individuals.

What is the UKSSSC exam case?

The ED’s money laundering investigation stems from four FIRs registered by the Uttarakhand Police and Vigilance Bureau over alleged irregularities in the 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination.

According to the agency, OMR answer sheets were allegedly removed from secure custody and taken to the residence of the commission’s then secretary. Roll numbers of under-filled answer sheets were recorded and passed to personnel of a private computer agency.

The ED has alleged that answer bubbles were subsequently filled or altered fraudulently before the sheets were resealed, with illegal payments allegedly routed through middlemen.

Jeena is currently serving as Rawat’s personal assistant. He had earlier served as Rawat’s officer on special duty when Rawat was Uttarakhand chief minister between 2014 and 2017.

What Harish Rawat said

Reacting to the allegations, Rawat said he found it difficult to believe that Jeena had been involved in wrongdoing. He acknowledged Jeena’s association with him and said the truth behind the allegations would emerge with time.

Rawat said that if evidence showed Jeena had tampered with OMR sheets in the recruitment examination, he would be ashamed of such conduct, while adding that he did not believe the allegation.

Explaining his resignation, Rawat said Uttarakhand politics was entering an election phase and that attempts were being made to create a narrative against him.

He said Congress and its workers were fighting corruption and that he did not want any action associated with him to weaken the party’s campaign. Since he did not hold a government position from which he could resign, he chose to step down from his organisational responsibilities in the party.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has highlighted the diplomatic and global significance of BRICS after senior party leader P Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits India has received from recent meetings of the grouping.

Speaking ahead of the BRICS summit in Delhi, Tharoor described BRICS as an important platform for the Global South and said hosting the summit was a matter of prestige for India. He also acknowledged challenges within the grouping, including differences among member countries and India’s trade imbalance with BRICS nations.

What Shashi Tharoor said about BRICS benefits

Tharoor said BRICS provides an important platform for the Global South. He pointed out that the grouping has 11 countries representing a majority of the world’s population and 41% of global GDP.

According to Tharoor, the size and diversity of the grouping make it significant on the global stage. He said the platform should therefore be taken seriously by other countries.

He also highlighted the importance of India hosting the BRICS summit. Tharoor said the presence of several heads of state and government, along with observers attending at the presidential and prime ministerial level, was a matter of prestige for India.

He linked the summit to India’s diplomatic convening power, saying that its value extends beyond immediate outcomes.

Tharoor flags challenges for BRICS

While listing the benefits, Tharoor also acknowledged that BRICS faces several challenges.

One of the key issues, according to him, is the difficulty of reaching a common position on major international developments. He pointed to differences over the Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Tharoor noted that when BRICS foreign ministers met in New Delhi in May, the countries were unable to agree on a joint statement. India, as the chair, instead issued a chair’s declaration.

He said the ability of the grouping to reach consensus would remain an important challenge for diplomats.

India faces trade imbalance with BRICS countries

Tharoor also raised concerns about the economic side of BRICS.

He said trade among BRICS countries has been growing but argued that the trend has been disadvantageous for India. According to him, India’s exports to BRICS countries have declined while imports from those countries have increased.

This trade imbalance was presented as one of the practical concerns that India needs to consider while assessing its engagement with the grouping.

What P Chidambaram said about BRICS

Tharoor’s comments came a day after former Union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram questioned the tangible benefits India has received from recent BRICS summits.

Chidambaram said he did not think the last two or three BRICS meetings had produced significant tangible benefits or results for India.

He also pointed out that India participates in several multilateral groupings, including BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the G20 and the Quad, and questioned what concrete benefits the country had received from them.

The BJP criticised Chidambaram’s remarks and described him as part of the “naraaz phupha” group that, according to the party, could not accept India’s progress.

Why are BRICS benefits being debated?

The latest exchange highlights two sides of the BRICS debate.

Chidambaram has questioned whether the grouping has delivered enough concrete outcomes for India, while Tharoor has emphasised its diplomatic importance, its representation of the Global South and India’s ability to bring major countries together.

At the same time, Tharoor has acknowledged challenges related to consensus and India’s trade position within the grouping.