A political controversy surrounding West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's leg injury during the 2021 Assembly election campaign has resurfaced ahead of the Nandigram by-election scheduled for October 6. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that Banerjee had misrepresented the nature of the injury she sustained while campaigning in Nandigram five years ago. He has announced a government investigation into the episode, with further action expected after the election process concludes.

The incident occurred on March 10, 2021, shortly after Banerjee filed her nomination from Haldia and returned to Nandigram for campaigning. She later alleged that she was pushed near Birulia while standing beside her vehicle and that the car door struck her leg. Banerjee described the incident as a conspiracy and was subsequently taken to a Kolkata hospital for medical treatment. A medical board was constituted at SSKM Hospital following her admission.

Banerjee later resumed campaigning using a wheelchair and with her leg in a plaster cast. The injury became a prominent feature of the 2021 election campaign and drew considerable public attention across West Bengal. Although she lost the Nandigram constituency to Suvendu Adhikari, her Trinamool Congress returned to power in the state. The episode has now become a campaign issue again as voters in Nandigram prepare to elect a new representative.

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Adhikari has based his latest allegation on a medical document dated March 11, 2021, which he said recorded no evidence of a fracture or dislocation. Speaking at the state secretariat, Nabanna, he accused the former Nandigram candidate of misleading voters and said the Criminal Investigation Department would continue examining the matter after the election code of conduct ends. He also indicated that the government could take further action depending on the findings of the investigation.

The Trinamool Congress has rejected the allegation and accused Adhikari of using Banerjee's medical condition for political purposes. Party MLA Kunal Ghosh defended the former chief minister's account of the incident and argued that the doctors who treated her could establish the seriousness of her injury. He also criticised the state government for reopening the issue and questioned the basis of the allegations being made during the by-election campaign.

The renewed dispute comes at a politically significant time for Nandigram, where the 2021 contest between Banerjee and Adhikari became one of the most closely watched battles of that election. Voting for the Nandigram and Rejinagar by-elections is scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9. The investigation into the 2021 injury is therefore unfolding alongside an active electoral contest, bringing an old political dispute back into focus.

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