Politics in Nandigram has never been quiet. It's the place where a land agitation in 2007 shaped Bengal's next decade, and where a Chief Minister lost her own seat in 2021.
Now Nandigram's in the headlines again. This time the hero, or the villain, depending on whom you ask, is Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, a bail order and a Supreme Court that isn't in a hurry.
How We Got Here
The bypoll
Let me set the
scene. The Nandigram seat fell vacant after Suvendu Adhikari, who won both
Nandigram and Bhabanipur in this year's Assembly elections, chose to keep
Bhabanipur. The by-election is scheduled for October 6, 2026. The Congress
fielded Milan Pradhan, the CPI nominated Shanti Gopal Giri and the BJP picked
Hasirani Rath.
And then things
got dramatic. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool faction first had its own candidate,
Sanchita Pradhan Dey, but she withdrew. On September 18, Mamata announced that
her faction would back the Congress candidate, calling Congress a "sister
party" and saying it served the INDIA bloc's interests.
The arrest
Here's the
thing. Within hours of that announcement, West Bengal Police arrested Milan
Pradhan. His lawyer told the Calcutta High Court he was picked up after filing
his nomination on September 15. Congress spokespersons questioned the timing,
and Mamata herself said the arrest came only hours after she declared support.
The police's
side is different. The cases against Pradhan are old, dating back to 2007
during the Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement under the Left Front
government, and include charges such as murder, attempt to murder and Arms Act
violations.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Milan Pradhan (Congress) |
| Seat | Nandigram, West Bengal |
| Bypoll date | October 6, 2026 |
| Arrested | September 18, 2026 |
| Cases | Six, filed in 2007 |
| Charges | Murder, attempt to murder, Arms Act |
| Rival candidates | Shanti Gopal Giri (CPI), Hasirani Rath (BJP) |
The High Court Steps In
Interim bail, with strings attached
On September
29, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh of the Calcutta High Court granted Pradhan interim
bail until October 20. The reasoning was plain: he should have the chance to
contest the election and campaign freely like any other candidate. The court
asked for a Rs 20,000 bond in each of the six cases.
It also set
conditions. Pradhan must call the local police station at 8:30 am every day and
speak to the Investigating Officer. He must surrender before the trial court on
October 21, and the High Court will hear the matter again on October 11.
| Condition | Detail |
|---|---|
| Interim bail until | October 20, 2026 |
| Surrender date | October 21, 2026 |
| Bond | Rs 20,000 in each of six cases |
| Daily check-in | Police station at 8:30 am |
| Next HC hearing | October 11 |
Police go to the Supreme Court
And that's
where it gets interesting. The West Bengal Police moved the Supreme Court on
Wednesday, September 30, challenging that interim bail. Solicitor General
Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, asked for an urgent hearing on Thursday,
noting Friday was a holiday for Gandhi Jayanti. His argument was simple. The
bail was granted in a murder case, and if the plea isn't heard before polling,
it'll be pointless.
He summed it up
as "he has been granted bail for the election." The state also told
the court that coercive processes had been issued against Pradhan and that the
allegations included murder.
The CJI's Response
"We will surely dismiss this"
Chief Justice
Surya Kant wasn't moved by the urgency. He declined to list the matter on
Thursday, said the court's board was already very long, and indicated it could
be heard on Monday. Reports quote him saying the court would surely dismiss the
plea, but on Monday, not the next day. When Mehta asked again, the CJI said no.
Let me be
honest, that's a pretty striking thing for a judge to say before a hearing. It
doesn't decide the case, since the bench will still listen on Monday. But it
signals how the court views the state's challenge.
The timing puzzle
Because here's
the funny, almost cruel part. Monday, October 5, is one day before voting. By
then Pradhan will be campaigning and the election will be a day away. If the
court throws out the state's plea on Monday, as the CJI suggested it would, the
bail stays and nothing changes. If the court doesn't, the whole bypoll gets
thrown into chaos.
| Date | What's Happening |
|---|---|
| September 18 | Pradhan arrested |
| September 29 | Calcutta HC grants interim bail |
| September 30 | SC refuses urgent listing; plea likely Monday |
| October 5 (Monday) | Expected SC hearing |
| October 6 | Nandigram bypoll |
| October 11 | Calcutta HC hearing |
| October 20 / 21 | Bail ends / surrender date |
The state argued that delay makes its plea meaningless. The court's reply, in effect, was that it had a busy docket and that it didn't see a reason to rush. One report gave October 7 as the hearing date, but most reports say Monday, so I'll go with that.