Nandigram By-Election Heats Up as Arrested Congress Candidate Gets Bail

The Nandigram Assembly seat by-election has picked up speed after Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was released on interim bail following charges from a 2007 case. The bypoll was triggered because Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacated his long-time seat. Adhikari has made the contest personal by fielding Hasirani Rath, the mother of his murdered close aide Chandranath Rath.

The Campaign Trail

Pradhan walked out of Haldia jail after 12 days and was welcomed by state Congress leaders Suvankar Sarkar and Subhashish Bhattacharya. He questioned Adhikari's fear and pointed out that he took part in the same 2007 Nandigram land movement that helped launch Adhikari's political career. Pradhan's campaign posters are mainly visible in Sonachura, where his family home is located. BJP candidate Hasirani has been busy visiting temples and holding road shows across the constituency with Adhikari's active backing. Hasirani stated that the BJP has no connection to Pradhan's arrest and predicted a win by at least one lakh votes.

Opposition and Alliances

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee decided to back Pradhan after her own party's candidate dropped out at the last minute. However, the Trinamool Congress faces internal hurdles as local leaders like Abu Taher and Sheikh Sufian are absent or missing. A rebel TMC faction has put up Ehteshmul Haque, while the Left Front is represented by CPI candidate Shantigopal Giri. In the 2026 Assembly elections, Adhikari secured just over 50 percent of the votes to win by a margin of more than 9,600 votes, while the TMC came second with over 47 percent.

Context

Bypolls in high-profile seats often turn into intense prestige battles between major political parties, especially when key leaders vacate positions they previously held. Nandigram has a long history of political contestation stemming from the land movements of 2007, making it a focal point for political friction in West Bengal.