Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, who is contesting the upcoming Nandigram Assembly by-election in West Bengal, was arrested on Friday, September 18, in connection with an old murder case linked to the politically significant 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement.
The arrest came just hours after former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support Pradhan in the October 6 bypoll. The timing has triggered political accusations from Congress and Banerjee’s camp, while a senior police officer said the action was based on a pending arrest warrant and was unrelated to the election.
Why Was Milan Pradhan Arrested?
According to police information reported by The Indian Express, Pradhan was among the accused in an old murder case dating back to the 2007 Nandigram land agitation.
A senior police officer said a warrant against Pradhan remained pending and that he did not have legal protection from a court.
The officer said:
“It has got nothing to do with the bypolls.”
The officer added that police review old pending arrest warrants during elections and found an outstanding warrant against Pradhan.
Hindustan Times reported that the case in which Pradhan was arrested was registered at Nandigram police station in 2007. According to Pradhan’s election affidavit, he was named in at least six murder cases registered at the police station that year.
The existence of cases or allegations does not by itself establish guilt; criminal responsibility is determined through the judicial process.
Arrest Comes Hours After Mamata Banerjee Backs Congress Candidate
The timing of the arrest has become a major part of the political controversy.
Earlier on Friday, Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in the Nandigram by-election after its own candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew from the contest.
Banerjee presented the decision as support for the Congress within the broader opposition alliance against the BJP.
Hours later, Pradhan was arrested.
The sequence prompted Congress and Banerjee’s faction to question why action in the old case was being taken immediately before the by-election. Police, however, rejected the suggestion that the arrest was connected to Pradhan’s candidature.
Congress Questions Timing of Police Action
West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar criticised the arrest and questioned why police had acted against Pradhan at this particular stage.
Sarkar said Pradhan had earlier told him that he feared he could be abducted. He also questioned why authorities had not acted earlier if multiple cases were pending against the candidate.
Congress has portrayed the arrest as politically motivated. That remains the party’s allegation rather than an established finding.
Police have maintained that the action followed the discovery of a pending warrant during a routine review associated with the election period.
Another Congress Leader Also Arrested
Congress leader Subhasish Bhattacharya was also arrested for allegedly trying to prevent police from apprehending Pradhan, according to a Congress leader cited in PTI reporting.
The New Indian Express reported that Pradhan was picked up from a hotel in Purba Medinipur and said he had been named in more than 12 cases associated with the Nandigram movement.
Reports differ on the number and precise status of cases and warrants involving Pradhan. The most specific publicly reported election-document detail is that his nomination affidavit lists at least six 2007 murder cases at Nandigram police station.
Why the 2007 Nandigram Cases Matter
The reference to 2007 carries considerable historical significance in West Bengal politics.
Nandigram became the centre of a major agitation against proposed land acquisition during the Left Front government. The conflict became one of the defining political issues of that period and contributed to Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress building momentum against the long-ruling Left Front.
The Trinamool Congress subsequently came to power in West Bengal in 2011.
Pradhan’s arrest therefore connects the current electoral contest with events that played a significant role in reshaping West Bengal politics nearly two decades ago.
Why Is a Bypoll Being Held in Nandigram?
Voting in the Nandigram Assembly by-election is scheduled for October 6, 2026.
The bypoll became necessary after Suvendu Adhikari, now West Bengal chief minister, vacated Nandigram and retained Bhabanipur. He had won both constituencies in the April 2026 Assembly election.
The political circumstances surrounding the constituency changed further on Friday when Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination and Banerjee subsequently announced support for Congress candidate Pradhan.
What Happens Next?
According to the senior police officer quoted by The Indian Express, Pradhan was due to be produced before a local court on Saturday.
The immediate legal question will therefore concern the proceedings arising from the pending case and warrant. Separately, the political dispute over the timing of his arrest is likely to remain an issue in the campaign.
It is important to distinguish the two: Pradhan’s arrest in connection with the 2007 case is a reported law-enforcement action, while claims that the timing was politically motivated are allegations made by political parties and have not been independently established.
