Congress' Nandigram Candidate Milan Pradhan Arrested Hours After Mamata Banerjee's Support Announcement

Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in West Bengal in connection with an old alleged murder case, hours after former chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would back his candidature in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The case relates to a murder during the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition protests, a movement that became a defining episode in Mamata Banerjee's political career. It helped the Trinamool Congress build its campaign against the Left Front, which had governed West Bengal for 34 years. The party went on to win power in 2011 and remained in office until the BJP won the assembly elections in 2026.

Banerjee's announcement came at a press conference at her Kalighat residence on Friday. It followed the withdrawal of Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been fielded by her faction, after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

Describing the Congress as a "sister party", Banerjee 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. "Let the message (for strengthening INDIA bloc) begin from Bengal."

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Banerjee was free to make the announcement but stressed that the Congress had not sought her support. "She is a political leader. She can say anything she wants. But the fact is she had fielded a candidate and now that her candidate has withdrawn, she is extending support to us. We have not asked for her support," he said.

The developments in Nandigram unfolded alongside a dispute over the identity of the Trinamool Congress. The Election Commission on Friday froze the use of the name 'All India Trinamool Congress' and the party's traditional 'flowers and grass' symbol for the October 6 bypolls.

The poll panel subsequently allotted the Mamata Banerjee faction the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol. The rival faction led by Arup Roy was allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.