Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, is arrested hours after Mamata Banerjee announces support for him. Multiple outlets report the arrest follows shortly after Banerjee makes the announcement at a press event at her Kalighat residence.
The political sequence leading up to the arrest is described as rapid. Sources say a candidate fielded by Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress faction withdraws her nomination minutes before Banerjee extends support to the Congress nominee, shifting the contest. Several reports link the arrest timing to ongoing law-enforcement action, stating police take Pradhan away in connection with an earlier case.
The coverage also reflects uncertainty and dispute over procedure. Times of India reports Bengal Congress says it is unclear whether Pradhan is formally arrested and cites claims that police did not follow expected processes. Other outlets mainly focus on the chronology—withdrawal of the TMC nomination, Banerjee’s support for Congress, and Pradhan’s arrest soon after—without detailing the internal Congress contention in the same way.
