Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested by West Bengal Police on Friday in connection with an old case, hours after former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction of the Trinamool Congress would support him in the Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

Pradhan is contesting the October 6 bypoll from Nandigram. The arrest came shortly after Mamata said her faction would not field another candidate after its nominee, Sanchita Pradhan De, withdrew from the race.

The timing of the arrest triggered a political confrontation, with Mamata and Congress leaders questioning the action and alleging that the case was being used for political purposes. The BJP, meanwhile, accused the Congress of politicising the arrest and pointed to the pending criminal cases against Pradhan.

Mamata questions timing of arrest

After announcing support for Pradhan, Mamata questioned why an old case had resurfaced at this stage.

She alleged that the timing raised questions and accused the BJP of using investigative and electoral processes against political opponents.

Mamata's remarks were followed by similar criticism from Congress leaders, who said the arrest would not deter the party from contesting the bypoll.

The allegations of political motivation were made by the opposition parties; police have cited an old pending case as the basis for the action. A senior police officer told The Indian Express that authorities had reviewed pending warrants during the election period and found one against Pradhan.

Congress attacks BJP

Congress leaders criticised the arrest and questioned the circumstances in which Pradhan was taken into custody.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the party would continue its campaign despite the development, while other leaders accused the BJP-led state government of attempting to weaken the Opposition.

The BJP rejected the allegations and said the Congress was trying to turn a criminal case into a political issue.

The BJP also referred to the cases against Pradhan and argued that the Congress was aware of his legal history when it fielded him.

Mamata backs Congress after TMC candidate quits

The arrest followed an unusual sequence of events in Nandigram.

Sanchita Pradhan De, who had been nominated by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction, withdrew her candidature after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat in Nabanna.

Mamata subsequently announced that her faction would not field a replacement and would instead support Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in the October 6 contest. She described the decision as part of her faction's solidarity with the INDIA bloc.

TMC name and symbol frozen

The developments come amid an escalating dispute within the Trinamool Congress.

The Election Commission has temporarily frozen the original All India Trinamool Congress name and the party's traditional Flowers and Grass symbol after rival factions claimed the TMC's organisational identity.

For the upcoming bypolls, the Mamata-led faction has been allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol. The rival faction has been given the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.

The arrangement is applicable to the upcoming elections while the wider dispute over the party's identity is considered.

How the TMC split reached the EC

The internal dispute initially centred on competing claims over the party's legislature leadership before expanding into a wider organisational battle.

Rival groups subsequently approached the Election Commission, each claiming legitimacy over the TMC's name and election symbol.

The EC's interim arrangement has now added another complication to the Nandigram contest, where the Mamata faction has withdrawn its candidate and shifted its support to the Congress.

Meanwhile, Pradhan's arrest has become a fresh point of confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Opposition ahead of the October 6 bypoll.