Nandigram Poll: TMC Candidate Quits, Congress Nominee Arrested

It happened after Mamata Banerjee's camp was given a fresh election symbol by the Election Commission for the Rejinagar and Nandigram bypolls.

Mamata Backs Congress Candidate

Mamata Banerjee attacked the BJP and called it a jumla party after De withdrew her candidature and said her camp would support the Congress candidate and she is with the INDIA bloc.

“We are ready to fight it out. I want the BJP to go from India. Our full solidarity with the INDIA bloc,” she said.

She further claimed that the conflict was an effort to strike at opposition groups, comparing it to the arrangements being made to weaken the Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra. 

Nandigram Congress Candidate Arrested

But after former chief minister Mamata Banerjee's faction said it will support Congress candidate Milan Pradhan's candidature in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll, he was arrested in West Bengal in an alleged murder case from years ago. Reports said four warrants were allegedly out against him. The arrested today has been associated with a murder case during the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition protests.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “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."

Congress Calls Arrest Political

The Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also responded to the arrest and described it as political vendetta.

"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," he said.

TMC Faction Get New Symbols

Latest political developments in Nandigram happened as a fight over the identity of the Trinamool Congress played out. The Election Commission on Friday put a stay on the use of 'All India Trinamool Congress' and the usual 'flowers and grass' symbol for the bypolls scheduled on October 6.

The poll panel later granted the Mamata Banerjee faction the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and symbol of Football Player.