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 support his candidature in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll. According to sources, four warrants are reportedly pending against Pradhan.
Pradhan was arrested today in connection with a murder case during the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition protests. The movement in Nandigram in 2007 is one of the defining struggles of 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 Trinamool Congress eventually came to power in 2011 and governed Bengal uninterrupted until the BJP put a spanner in the works in 2026 by winning the assembly elections.
The arrest came after Mamata Banerjee announced at a press conference at her Kalighat residence on Friday that her faction would support the Congress candidate in Nandigram. Her announcement followed the withdrawal of Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been fielded by her faction, after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
"Sometime after Mamata Banerjee extended support to the Congress candidate from Nandigram, the way Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested is unbelievable. Why such lack of confidence, why such fear?" asked Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh, hours later.
Democracy is on ventilator in BJP's West Bengal. This is BJP's latest effort to ensure “Opposition-Mukt Bharat”, successfully converting our great Constitutional democracy into a Banana Republic.
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) September 18, 2026
Using a dormant 19-year old case from 2007 to arrest our candidate - minutes after… https://t.co/khRTAzRYZ6
"Democracy is on ventilator in BJP's West Bengal. This is BJP's latest effort to ensure "Opposition-Mukt Bharat", successfully converting our great Constitutional democracy into a Banana Republic. Using a dormant 19-year old case from 2007 to arrest our candidate - minutes after Mamata Banerjee ji extended support - is a sign that BJP will go to any lengths to hijack democracy. We are the party that fought the oppressive British rule and drove them away, these petty intimidation tactics by their cheap copycats are not going to scare us. We will stand tall against this misuse of power, and we will ensure the BJP's defeat," said Congress leader KC Venugopal.
Mamata Banerjee described the Congress as a "sister party" and said the decision was intended to strengthen 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."
READ | Nandigram Candidate Abandons Her, Mamata Banerjee Pulls A Congress Surprise
Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Banerjee was free to make the announcement but stressed that the Congress had not requested 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," Chowdhury said.
Hours later, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also commented on the arrest and termed it as an act of "political revenge".
"The arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan for the Nandigram by-election is no coincidence-it is political revenge, the murder of democracy. The BJP has no faith in fair elections-that's why it wants to cling to power sometimes through vote theft, sometimes through stealing governments, and sometimes through stealing parties. They don't want to contest elections; they want to end the electoral fight altogether. The Congress will neither fear nor bow down. We will fight-and we will win," said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee, responded to Rahul Gandhi by claiming that there are "three murder cases" pending against Pradhan.
"We, the Democratic Trinamool Congress have lodged a complaint against Milan Pradhan, who has three murder cases pending against him. During elections it's mandatory to execute the warrant.The State Cong Leadership probably has not intimated the actual details to Sri Rahul Gandhi," he said.
We, the Democratic Trinamool Congress have lodged a complaint against Milan Pradhan, who has three murder cases pending against him. During elections it's mandatory to execute the warrant.The State Cong Leadership probably has not intimated the actual details to Sri @RahulGandhi https://t.co/pFKCv5XM5C
— Ritabrata Banerjee (@RitabrataBanerj) September 18, 2026
READ | Mamata Banerjee Loses Trinamool Symbol, Name, And Now Nandigram Candidate
The latest political 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.
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