Contest To Chaos: Rebels And Rivals Script Twists In Nandigram Bypoll Battle

Nandigram was shaping up as one of Bengal's most closely watched bypolls. Within hours on Friday, the contest was thrown into extraordinary uncertainty.

First, Mamata Banerjee's candidate walked out of the race after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Then, after Mamata's faction decided to back the Congress nominee Milan Pradhan, he was arrested in connection with an old 2007 murder case.

And the twists did not end there.

The arrest came amid a curious political crossfire: the complaint, according to Democratic Trinamool Congress leader Ritabrata Banerjee, was filed by his faction - a breakaway Trinamool camp that is itself contesting the Nandigram bypoll.

In the space of a few hours, a contest that had already brought together old rivals, rebel factions and new alliances was transformed into a political and legal battle, with the Congress alleging political revenge and the rival Trinamool faction insisting that the police action followed pending criminal cases and warrants.

For Nandigram, a constituency already loaded with political history, the bypoll had suddenly acquired another dramatic layer.

The arrest triggered a sharp political exchange.

Read | Congress' Nandigram Pick Arrested After Mamata Banerjee Announces Support

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a post on Friday evening, termed the arrest an act of "political revenge" and accused the BJP of trying to eliminate the electoral contest rather than fight it.

नंदीग्राम उपचुनाव के लिए कांग्रेस उम्मीदवार मिलन प्रधान की गिरफ्तारी कोई संयोग नहीं, राजनीतिक प्रतिशोध है - लोकतंत्र की हत्या है।

BJP का निष्पक्ष चुनाव में भरोसा ही नहीं - इसलिए कभी वोट चोरी, कभी सरकार चोरी और कभी पार्टी चोरी से सत्ता बचाना चाहती है।

वो चुनाव नहीं लड़ना चाहते,…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 18, 2026

"The arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan for the Nandigram by-election is no coincidence - it is political revenge, the murder of democracy," Gandhi said, adding that the Congress "will neither fear nor bow down" and would "fight - and win."

Ritabrata Banerjee hit back in a response to Gandhi, saying his Democratic Trinamool Congress had itself lodged the complaint against Pradhan. He claimed that three murder cases were pending against the Congress candidate and said police action followed an existing warrant.

"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 Congress leadership probably has not intimated the actual details to Sri Rahul Gandhi," he said.

Read | Mamata Banerjee Drew Her Party's Symbol By Hand. It's Now Tied To An Indira Gandhi Case

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

Police sources said Pradhan was named as an accused in multiple cases dating back to the 2007 Nandigram land-acquisition agitation and that arrest warrants had been pending against him. Three of the four warrants accessed by NDTV relate to cases involving murder charges (Section 302). Since the cases are old and registered under IPC, the sections now will be different under the new Bhartaiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Murder charge in BNS falls under Section 103, instead of 302.

1. Nandigram Police Station Case No. 75/07 (30.04.2007): IPC Sections 147, 148, 149, 448, 302, and 506; and Section 27 of the Arms Act.

2. Nandigram Police Station Case No. 221/07 (15.11.2007): IPC Sections 147, 148, 149, 326, 364, 302, and 201.

3. Nandigram Police Station Case No. 188/07 (08.11.2007): IPC Sections 147, 148, 149, 324, 307, and 302; and Sections 25/27 of the Arms Act.

4. Khejuri Police Station Case No. 44/07 (30.07.2007): IPC Sections 148/149; and Sections 25/35 of the Arms Act.

Milan Pradhan was arrested by the police while he was conducting a door-to-door campaign in Reyapara area of Nandigram around 5:30 PM on Friday.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the coming together of all the anti-BJP forces has rattled the ruling party.

"Even when the candidate filed the affidavit, the District Magistrate raised no objections. Now, realizing that the political tide is turning in favour of the Congress during the campaign, the BJP is panicking," Chowdhury stated.