The administration has imposed Section 163 restrictions around Berhampur Girls’ College ahead of the Rejinagar by-election counting scheduled for October 9, citing the risk of crowding by rival political supporters and possible disruption of law and order.
The restrictions will come into force at 5am on the counting day and remain in place until the counting process ends. The counting for Assembly constituency 70-Rejinagar will be held at Berhampur Girls’ College, according to the Election Commission schedule cited by the administration.
Sub-divisional officer (Sadar) Samiran Barik said the order was issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. A police report cited the possibility of large gatherings by supporters of competing political camps near the counting centre and a consequent threat to public order.
Under the order, vehicles will not be allowed within 100 metres of the counting centre. A gathering of five or more people will also be prohibited within the same 100-metre zone, and loudspeakers will not be permitted there. Entry to the counting centre will be restricted to people carrying valid identification issued by the Election Commission.
The order further prohibits people from carrying weapons, mobile phones, cordless phones and wireless sets within 200 metres of the counting centre. The restrictions do not apply to magistrates, police personnel, election observers, the district magistrate, additional district magistrates, returning officers and counting staff engaged in the process.
The measures follow a politically contested by-election in Rejinagar. According to the report, Humayun Kabir, founder of the Am Janata Unnayan Party, had won both the Naoda and Rejinagar seats in the 2026 elections before retaining Naoda and vacating Rejinagar, leading to the by-election. He fielded his son, Golam Azad Nabi, while the Bharatiya Janata Party nominated Shakharav Sarkar.
The report said Kabir had alleged that party workers were being arrested and had also raised allegations of booth capturing on polling day. He was subsequently arrested and later announced that he would retire from politics, according to the same account. The administration’s restrictions now place the counting centre and its surrounding area under specified limits on movement, assembly and communications equipment.
Counting for another by-election in the state is also scheduled for October 9. The report said the seat became vacant after Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari retained Bhabanipur and vacated Nandigram. The BJP fielded Hasirani Rath, the mother of his deceased aide Chandranath Rath, while the Trinamool Congress did not nominate a candidate and is supporting Congress candidate Milan Pradhan. The Berhampur restrictions will remain operational until the Rejinagar counting process is completed.