Political Row Erupts in West Bengal as Congress's Nandigram Candidate Milan Pradhan Arrested
Political tensions escalated in West Bengal following the arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan ahead of the upcoming October 6 Assembly by-election in the high-profile Nandigram constituency. Pradhan was arrested by police in Purba Medinipur district in connection with 19-year-old criminal charges stemming from the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement. A local court in Haldia subsequently remanded him to judicial custody until October 3, effectively preventing him from campaigning in the crucial days leading up to the election.
The arrest occurred just hours after former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her Trinamool Congress faction would support the Congress candidate, following the withdrawal of TMC's own nominee Sanchita Pradhan Dey. Opposition parties, including senior Congress leadership and Mamata Banerjee, strongly criticized the timing of the arrest, calling it political vendetta aimed at derailing the opposition's campaign. However, police authorities maintained that the arrest was a routine execution of pending non-bailable warrants in compliance with directives from the Election Commission of India.
