Just hours after former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction of Trinamool Congress (TMC) would support the Congress candidate for Nandigram for the upcoming Assembly bypoll, Milan Pradhan, he was arrested on Friday, September 18, in connection with an old murder case.
The development comes amid strange twists of matters and as a setback for the former West Bengal chief minister. Just a day ago, the identity of Trinamool Congress got mired in more dispute after Election Commission of India (ECI) froze the use of the name ‘All India Trinamool Congress’ and the party’s traditional election symbol of ‘flowers and grass’ for the bypolls.
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The murder charge against Milan Pradhan is linked with the anti-land acquisition protests Mamata Banerjee spearheaded in Nandigram in 2007, which pitchforked her to the centre of West Bengal politics and helped her emerge as the main opponent to the then ruling Left Front.
Few had any knowledge that Milan Pradhan was an accused in the murder case. What came as a shock to many was that his arrest in that old case came just hours after Mamata Banerjee announced her faction’s support to him. The bypoll for Nandigram Assembly constituency is slated for October 6.
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Mamata’s announcement came after her faction’s candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, sprang a surprise by withdrawing from the electoral contest on Thursday night. Her decision became known on Friday. This left Mamata no scope for finding a replacement because the nominations are already over for the bypoll.
Dey, whose candidature was announced by Mamata’s faction of TMC on Sunday, took the decision to withdraw after reportedly having a private meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari of BJP.
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While extending her faction’s support to the Congress candidate, Mamata Banerjee described Congress as a “sister party”. The decision would strengthen the Opposition INDIA bloc, she said.
While freezing Trinamool Congress’s official full name and election symbol, Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted the Mamata Banerjee faction of the party the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the symbol of ‘football player’. The rival faction of the party led by Arup Roy was allotted the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the symbol of ‘envelope’.
Sanchita Pradhan Dey’s withdrawal from the poll fray and Milan Pradhan’s arrest shocked leaders of Mamata Banerjee’s faction and her close aides. They said the developments are clear indication that the ruling BJP was scared.
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Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh said, “Sometime after Mamata Banerjee extended support to the Congress candidate from Nandigram, the way Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested is unbelievable. Why such lack of confidence, why such fear?”.
