Congress Candidate Arrested Ahead of Nandigram By-Election Amid Political Tensions

Kolkata, September 18 (Daily Kiran) : Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested on September 18 in connection with an old murder case, just days before the Nandigram by-election. The arrest was confirmed by a police officer from the East Midnapore district.

This event unfolded shortly after the candidate from the Trinamool Congress, Sanchita Dey Pradhan, withdrew her nomination. Following this, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced her support for the Congress party in Nandigram.

According to district police, Pradhan was already wanted in connection with the murder case, and a warrant had been issued for his arrest. His apprehension has ignited a political stir in West Bengal, with Congress alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to eliminate opposition ahead of the elections.

Shubhankar Sarkar, president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, expressed concerns over the timing of the arrest, suggesting it was a politically motivated act to establish a one-party rule in the state. He questioned the future of opposition politics in West Bengal and across the country. However, the BJP’s East Midnapore district leadership dismissed these allegations, stating they had no connection to Pradhan’s arrest.

In addition to Nandigram, a by-election is also scheduled for the Rejinagar assembly seat in Murshidabad district. Voting for both seats will take place on October 6, with results expected to be announced on November 9.

During the previous assembly elections, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won in both Nandigram and Bhawanipur, defeating Mamata Banerjee in the latter. He chose to retain the Bhawanipur seat, leaving Nandigram vacant and necessitating the by-election.

The BJP has nominated Hasirani Rath as its candidate for Nandigram. She is the mother of Chandranath Rath, Adhikari’s personal assistant, who was tragically murdered on May 6 in North 24 Parganas, shortly after the election results were declared. This nomination adds an emotional layer to the electoral campaign.