Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with an old case linked to the 2007 NaNandigram Bypoll: Congress Candidate Milan Pradhan Arrested After Mamata Banerjee Backs Him
ndigram land acquisition movement, hours after former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced support for him in the Nandigram Assembly bypoll. The Congress has questioned the timing and the action, while the BJP has said the police acted according to law.
Milan Pradhan was arrested on Friday, September 18, after Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram bypoll. The decision followed the withdrawal of Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate fielded by the Mamata-led faction.
At a press conference at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata, Banerjee said her faction would not field a new candidate in Nandigram and would support the Congress candidate. She presented the decision as an expression of solidarity with the opposition INDIA bloc.
A few hours later, West Bengal Police arrested Milan Pradhan. Congress leaders have questioned the timing of the arrest. Available reports indicate that the arrest relates to an old case, with police action described as being carried out under the law. India Today reported that Pradhan was arrested in connection with three murder cases dating back to 2007.
According to senior Congress leaders, several cases were registered against Milan Pradhan in connection with the Nandigram land acquisition movement. The party said Pradhan’s name appeared in more than a dozen cases related to the 2007 movement.
Congress leaders said he was picked up from a hotel in Chandipur in Purba Medinipur district. The arrest of Congress leader Subhashish Bhattacharya was also reported. He was alleged to have tried to prevent police from arresting Pradhan.
Some reports have linked Pradhan’s arrest to an old murder case. India Today, citing police sources, reported that action was taken against him in three murder cases related to 2007. As a result, details of the legal nature of the case differ across reports.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made serious allegations against the BJP over Pradhan’s arrest. He described the action as “vote theft” and “election theft” and alleged that agencies were being misused to target an opposition candidate.
In a social media post, Kharge said the BJP government was harming democracy in West Bengal. He also said the Congress would not come under pressure and that opposition parties would respond politically.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also reacted to Pradhan’s arrest. He described it as an act of “political revenge” and alleged that the BJP did not believe in free and fair elections. Gandhi said the Congress would not back down because of the action.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also questioned the arrest. He said that using a 19-year-old case to arrest an election candidate amounted to interference in the democratic process. These are allegations made by Congress leaders and should not be treated as independently established facts.
The BJP rejected the Congress’s political allegations. According to available reports, the party said police had acted under the legal process in an old case and that it was not appropriate to link the arrest to the election.
The case has therefore produced two separate political claims. The Congress has questioned the timing of the arrest and its electoral context, while the BJP has described it as legal action. The final position will depend on the court proceedings and investigation.
Mamata Banerjee also questioned the timing of Milan Pradhan’s arrest, saying it came only hours after her announcement supporting the Congress candidate.
Banerjee alleged that an old case had suddenly been brought to the fore. She linked the action to political retaliation and raised questions about the electoral process. These allegations are political claims, and no judicial finding supporting them has been presented.
The Nandigram bypoll had already emerged as a contest involving multiple political parties. West Bengal Chief Minister and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari won the Nandigram seat in the 2026 Assembly election but later vacated it to retain the Bhabanipur seat. This led to the Nandigram bypoll.
The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath from Nandigram. She is the mother of Chandranath Rath, the late associate of Suvendu Adhikari. Candidates from the Left Front, the Indian Secular Front and a separate faction of the Trinamool Congress are also in the contest.
Another development in the Nandigram bypoll came when Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate from Mamata Banerjee’s faction, withdrew her nomination on Friday. Mamata Banerjee subsequently decided to support Congress candidate Milan Pradhan.
Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination one day before the deadline. Mamata Banerjee announced support for the Congress candidate later on Friday. The Nandigram bypoll is scheduled for October 6, 2026.
The dispute between two Trinamool Congress factions before the Nandigram bypoll has also affected their electoral identities. The Election Commission allocated separate names and election symbols to the two factions.
The faction led by Mamata Banerjee was given the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the “Football Player” election symbol. The other faction was allocated the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “Envelope” election symbol.
Mamata Banerjee has objected to the Election Commission’s decision and described it as politically biased. The Election Commission’s process and the related legal challenge will determine the further position on the issue.
Following Milan Pradhan’s arrest, developments in the Nandigram bypoll are continuing on both legal and political fronts. The Congress has reacted against the arrest, while the BJP has described it as action under the law.
Court proceedings, Pradhan’s bail and the effect of the arrest on the electoral process will be relevant in the coming days. The Nandigram bypoll remains scheduled for October 6, with developments involving the candidates forming part of the electoral process.
