# Congress candidate arrested after Mamata backs him in Nandigram

2026-09-18T23:17:21+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, was arrested on Friday hours after Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool faction announced support for him. The arrest is linked to cases from the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement, including four murder cases. The Congress alleges political vendetta by the BJP, while the BJP denies any connection. Sanchita Dey Pradhan, Mamata's nominee, withdrew her candidature on Friday, prompting Mamata to back Congress. Soon after, police arrested Milan Pradhan based on warrants issued in 2021 and 2023. Congress state president Subhankar Sarkar questioned the timing, saying an EC official was unaware of the arrest. West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari's party called the arrest routine. The bypoll is on October 6 with counting on October 9.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All three sources report the same sequence of events. Siasat.com and Rediff.com foreground Congress allegations of a BJP conspiracy, while Times of India adds detail on Mamata's withdrawal and the timing of the arrest. None of the sources present a counter-framing from the government beyond a denial. The coverage is uniform straight reporting with no discernible slant. The bypoll on October 6 will test whether the arrest affects the outcome.

## Coverage

- siasat.com (neutral report) <https://www.siasat.com/after-mamata-vows-support-congress-nandigram-candidate-held-3544524/>
  Leads with arrest fact, includes Congress and BJP quotes equally.
- rediff.com (neutral report) <https://www.rediff.com/news/report/congress-candidate-milan-pradhan-arrested-ahead-of-nandigram-bypoll/20260919.htm>
  Straight PTI report, frames arrest as controversy but no editorialising.
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/didi-candidate-withdraws-cops-arrest-cong-nandigram-nominee/articleshow/134343687.cms>
  Detailed chronology, includes all party reactions without bias.

Tags: BJP, Congress, Milan Pradhan, Nandigram, Trinamool Congress, West Bengal
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