Nandigram Candidate Arrest
Congress Candidate Arrested in Nandigram Hours After Receiving Mamata Banerjee Support
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Congress leader Subhasish Bhattacharya was also arrested, allegedly for trying to prevent police from apprehending Milan Pradhan.
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Pradhan was reportedly taken into custody from a hotel in Chandipur, in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district, and had been named in at least 12 cases connected to the Nandigram land movement.
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Local reports said the arrest took place at about 5 p.m. after Pradhan had completed door-to-door campaigning in the Rayapara area.
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The two bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar are scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9.
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The Election Commission’s interim arrangement assigned Mamata Banerjee’s faction the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and a footballer symbol, while the rival faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee received the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and an envelope symbol.
Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested in West Bengal's Nandigram just hours after Mamata Banerjee announced her Trinamool Congress faction would support him in the October 6 bypoll NE Now. The arrest, reportedly tied to an old murder case from the 2007 anti-land-acquisition protests, sparked accusations of political targeting from opposition leaders who called it an attempt to block electoral competition India Today.
Congress leader Subhasish Bhattacharya was also detained after allegedly trying to prevent police from taking Pradhan into custody at a hotel in Chandipur Dainik Jagran. The timing—just 30 minutes after Mamata's press conference backing the Congress candidate—fueled opposition claims of coordinated action by the BJP-led state government and election authorities.
A Last-Minute Alliance Upended by Arrest
Mamata Banerjee's faction withdrew its own Nandigram candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, just hours after she met with BJP Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari Asia Net News. Mamata then announced Congress support for Pradhan to strengthen the national INDIA opposition bloc India Today. The arrest came at 5 p.m., minutes after Pradhan finished door-to-door campaigning in the Rayapara area NE Now.
Opposition Leaders Cry Foul Over Dormant Cases
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal called the arrest "a sign that the BJP will go to any extent to hijack democracy." West Bengal Congress President Subhankar Sarkar questioned why police waited 19 years to act: "If there are so many cases pending against him, what were the police doing all these days?" India Today
Mamata Banerjee said the timing raised "serious questions" and accused an "Election Agency-BJP partnership" of "killing democracy every day" Asia Net News. Pradhan faced at least 12 cases linked to 2007 unrest, with some reports citing murder charges among them Dainik Jagran.
TMC's Name Freeze Adds to Opposition Chaos
Days before the bypolls, India's Election Commission froze the original Trinamool Congress name and symbol following a party split India Today. Mamata's faction was assigned the name "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" with a footballer symbol, while the rival faction got "Democratic Trinamool Congress" with an envelope symbol Asia Net News.
The dual disruptions—the symbol freeze and Pradhan's arrest—hit the opposition coalition days before the September 19 nomination deadline NE Now. Voting is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9 Dainik Jagran.
State Police Assert Arrest Was Standard Procedure
West Bengal authorities defended the arrest as routine execution of pending judicial warrants, noting Pradhan was named in multiple cases from the 2007 land-acquisition unrest India Today. Police sources said four warrants were active and the arrest had no connection to electoral timing or political pressure.
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