Mamata questions Congress candidate's arrest ahead of Nandigram bypoll

Kolkata: Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee has questioned the timing of the arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, who is contesting the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

Pradhan was arrested by the West Bengal Police on Friday in connection with an old murder case, hours after Mamata announced that her faction would support him in the bypoll. Police sources said Pradhan was an accused in the case and that an arrest warrant had been issued.

Reacting to the arrest, Mamata alleged that it was an instance of the BJP’s “politics of vendetta” and questioned why action was taken against Pradhan immediately after the TMC announced its support for him.

“Minutes after we extended our support to the Congress candidate for the bypoll in Nandigram, the Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested,” Mamata said in a post on X.

Mamata also accused the Election Commission and the BJP of working in tandem, alleging that “manipulation”, “vote loot” and “intimidation” were undermining democracy.

The arrest followed the withdrawal of the TMC’s candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, from the Nandigram contest. She withdrew after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat, Nabanna.

Mamata later announced that the TMC would support Congress candidate Milan Pradhan instead of fielding another candidate. She described the Congress as a “sister party” and said the move was intended to strengthen the INDIA bloc.

Pradhan is likely to be produced before a court in Haldia on Saturday, which is also the deadline for withdrawal of nominations for the bypoll.

The final list of candidates for the Nandigram bypoll is expected to be confirmed after the withdrawal deadline.