Kolkata: On a day of fast-paced action in West Bengal politics, the high-profile Nandigram constituency was at the epicentre.
A day after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) granted rival Trinamool Congress factions new names and symbols, Mamata Banerjee-nominated candidate Sanchita Dey Pradhan withdrew her candidature for the October 6 bypoll.
Slamming the BJP and ECI for providing the country a ‘black day in democracy’, Mamata announced at a press conference that she will extend support to the Congress in Nandigram, rather than naming a fresh candidate.
Shortly after that, West Bengal police arrested Congress-nominated Nandigram candidate Milan Pradhan in connection with a murder case which dates back almost to two decades.
Pradhan was arrested from Purba Medinipur district on Friday evening, a day before the last date for filing nominations. The murder case against Pradhan was lodged during the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition protests, led by then-Opposition leader Mamata Banerjee.
Congress alleged that Pradhan’s arrest was politically motivated and accused the BJP of trying to eliminate all opposition in the state.
“Today, a case has been framed suddenly and thus BJP wants to implement a one-party rule in the state. Won’t there be any opposition in the country? Milan’s arrest is a political vendetta of the BJP,” Bengal Pradesh Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said.
The BJP rejected the allegation, saying police had acted according to law and that the arrest had no connection with politics.
The developments added to the political drama surrounding Nandigram, a key battleground between Mamata and Suvendu. Suvendu defeated Mamata in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly election and won the seat again in the 2026 polls, though the Trinamool leader didn’t contest this time.
As Suvendu contested from Nandigram and Bhabanipur – where he defeated Mamata in her home turf in May — and won both seats, he had to give up one. It was Nandigram, hence the bypoll.
For next month’s bypoll, the BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of Suvendu’s personal assistant Chandranath Rath who was murdered on May 9.
The Left Front, Indian Secular Front and rebel Trinamool faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee have also fielded candidates in Nandigram.
