The Nandigram contest took a fresh turn after Mamata Banerjee’s faction withdrew its candidate and decided to back Congress, only for Congress nominee Milan Pradhan to be arrested in an old murder case.
BY PC Bureau
Kolkata: The Nandigram Assembly bypoll took a dramatic turn on Friday after Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case, hours after former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support his candidature.
The arrest came on a day of rapid political developments in Nandigram, where Banerjee’s faction withdrew its own candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, and decided to back Congress in the October 6 bypoll.
Pradhan’s arrest adds another layer of uncertainty to a contest already shaped by a bitter political rivalry and a reshuffling of Trinamool Congress factions ahead of the bypoll.
The Nandigram seat fell vacant after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who had won both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the 2026 Assembly elections, chose to retain Bhabanipur, where he defeated Banerjee.
Congress had named Milan Pradhan as its Nandigram candidate earlier this month. The CPI has fielded Shanti Gopal Giri, while the BJP has nominated Hasirani Rath.
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#Breaking: #MamataBanerjee announces her decision that her #TMC camp will support #Congress candidate for bye-elections in #Nandigram. Decision regarding Rejinagar will be taken later. pic.twitter.com/1S3xQxubWX
— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) September 18, 2026
Mamata faction withdraws candidate
The political realignment followed the withdrawal of Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate fielded by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction.
Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination on Friday, a day before the deadline, after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat in Nabanna. The meeting and the subsequent withdrawal drew considerable attention, although the precise reasons for her decision remain a matter of dispute.
Later, Banerjee announced that her faction would not field another candidate and would instead support Congress’s Milan Pradhan in Nandigram.
Banerjee described Congress as a “sister party” and said the decision was aimed at strengthening the INDIA bloc. “My faction had earlier decided to support Congress in Nandigram, and it is the beginning of a future,” she said.
TMC factions lose traditional identity
The developments came after the Election Commission assigned new names and symbols to the rival Trinamool factions for the bypolls, ending their immediate use of the traditional Trinamool Congress name and symbol.
The Banerjee-led faction was allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and a football-player symbol, while the rival faction was assigned the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and an envelope symbol.
Banerjee’s decision to back Congress therefore came against the backdrop of the organisational and electoral uncertainty surrounding her faction.
Arrest puts spotlight on Congress candidate
Milan Pradhan’s arrest, however, has introduced a fresh complication for Congress.
He was taken into custody in connection with an old alleged murder case, according to reports. The circumstances of the case, the precise allegations against Pradhan and the timing of the arrest are likely to become significant issues in the campaign.
The arrest came only hours after Banerjee publicly announced her support for his candidature, making it one of the most consequential developments in the Nandigram contest so far.
The bypoll will be held on October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9.
