The Mamata Banerjee faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is allotted the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' on Friday, with a footballer as the party symbol. The TMC supremo announces her party will support the Congress Nandigram candidate in the bypolls.
Hours later, Congress candidate Milan Pradhan is arrested from Sonachura in Nandigram Block 1 in a decades-old murder case. The Congress is now questioning where Milan Pradhan is, why he was arrested, and which investigating agency arrested him.
“We will go to High Court and send a written complaint to EC. Where is our candidate? Why was he arrested?” questioned West Bengal Pradesh Congress Commitee President Subhankar Sarkar.
Sarkar also stated that there was an atmosphere of fear in the state created by the BJP which did not allow other political parties to co-exist.
“Is there a conspiracy to murder him (Milan Pradhan)? Or make him withdraw his candidature? Or give a surrender letter?” he questioned.
Local media reports say that Pradhan had been arrested in a non-bailable case at about 5 PM on Friday, just after a round of door-to-door campaigning.
The murder case he was booked for is reportedly linked to the Nandigram violence of 2007, though specific details are yet to be revealed.
The arrest came just hours after Mamata backed Pradhan, following the sudden exit of her faction's candidate for Nandigram, Sanchita Pradhan Dey.
The Congress will protest Pradhan's arrest in front of police stations across the state on Saturday. A ‘Nandigram Chalo’ initiative has also been taken by the party, which appeals to people to give a befitting reply to the arrest by supporting the Congress in the bypolls.
Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury termed the sudden arrest without any provocation as astonishing.
“What is striking to note is that the same person who filed his candidacy as a Congress representative and delivered the oath in front of the returning officer—the district collector—was not arrested at the time. He filed his nomination without any hassle. A few days later, when other Opposition parties are extending their support to the Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, BJP got scared and out of desperation, it arrested him in order to thwart our prospect and try to turn the election as a farce. It is a stigma on our democracy,” said Chowdhury.
Chowdhury goes on to allege that the BJP was ruling the apex polling body.
“I am condeming this and drawing attention of the Election Commission. I can assure that despite Milan Pradhan’s arrest, we will use all our efforts from our party to get the elections in Nandigram in the Congress party’s favour. Congress will leave no stone unturned to ensure the victory of our party,” added Chowdhury.
Pradhan had been part of the Mamata camp's plans to back the Congress and fight the BJP together in the bypolls at both Nandigram—one of the two seats from where CM Suvendu Adhikari had contested the 2026 Assembly elections and won—and Rejinagar.
He was to take on Mohammad Eteshamul Haque from the Ritabrata Banerjee camp and Hasirani Rath, the mother of CM Adhikari's slain aide, Chandranath Rath.
Both bypolls are scheduled for October 6 and the votes will be counted on October 9. However, with Saturday being the last day to file nominations, the incident has put not only the Congress, but also Mamata’s party, in turmoil.
Mamata had stated her support for the Congress-led INDIA alliance at the national level too.
What happens next will determine not just the Nandigram bypolls, but will also spark discussions on the evolving political ethos in West Bengal and the unpredictable nature of the electoral process.
