Nandigram bypoll row: Congress candidate Milan Pradhan arrested

Congress candidate Milan Pradhan for the bypoll in the Nandigram constituency has been arrested by the West Bengal police in an old case. This comes an hour after Mamata Banerjee said she would support the Congress candidate after her own candidate withdrew her nomination.

She made this announcement after the candidate of the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) withdrew her nomination from the Nandigram Assembly seat, leaving the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress without a candidate in Nandigram.

Ms. Pradhan (Dey) took the decision after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The development came hours after the Election Commission assigned the Ms. Banerjee-led faction a new party name and symbol for the October 6 bypolls, effectively ending its immediate claim to the Trinamool Congress’ traditional identity.