Nandigram Bypoll Stirs Political Chaos After Candidate Arrest

With the October 6 Nandigram bypoll approaching, West Bengal politician Suvendu Adhikari declared the nationalist cause will emerge victorious, even as the local political landscape fractures. The race shifted dramatically after Mamata Banerjee’s TMC withdrew its candidate, leaving the contest to a shrinking field of contenders and police intervention.

Editorial·September 19, 2026·reads: 507

Nandigram Bypoll Stirs Political Chaos After Candidate Arrest

The political maneuvering in Nandigram intensified following the withdrawal of TMC candidate Sanchita Pradhan, a move Mamata Banerjee framed as a step toward broader national interests. As the BJP’s Hasirani Rath prepares to face off against CPI nominee Shanti Gopal Giri, the Congress campaign faces a significant hurdle: the arrest of its candidate, Milan Pradhan. Kolkata police detained Pradhan on September 18 regarding non-bailable warrants linked to 2007 criminal cases, including a murder charge.

Congress leadership, led by state president Subhankar Sarkar, has dismissed the timing of the arrest as politically motivated. Conversely, law enforcement officials maintain the detention follows standard procedures for executing long-standing warrants ahead of elections, as mandated by the Election Commission of India. While the BJP denies any interference in the process, the arrest has cast a shadow over the upcoming vote in both Nandigram and Rejinagar, with the final results set to be tallied on October 9.