Story perspectives

Trinamool Withdraws Nandigram and Rejinagar By-Elections After EC Freeze

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 4:02 AM UTC · How we work

Center

Banerjee endorses arrested nominee

On September 19 2026, Trinamool Congress candidates withdrew from the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly by-polls in West Bengal.
The withdrawals followed the Election Commission’s freeze of the party’s original name and symbol, prompting Mamata Banerjee to endorse Congress nominee Milan Pradhan.
Milan Pradhan was arrested on September 19 2026 on four non-bailable warrants from the 2007 Nandigram protests.
Banerjee filed a Supreme Court petition challenging commission’s freeze of the party’s name and symbol.

Right

Political retaliation claim

On September 19 2026, Trinamool Congress candidates withdrew from the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly by-polls in West Bengal.
Congress spokesperson Ajitesh Pandey said the arrest of Milan Pradhan was a politically motivated retaliation, not routine law enforcement.
Mamata Banerjee supported Milan Pradhan after her nominee Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew.
Police said Pradhan faced four 2007 non-bailable warrants, including murder charges.

Blindspot

The Election Commission froze the Trinamool Congress’s original name and symbol, leading Mamata Banerjee to file a petition with the Supreme Court challenging the order.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In 1998 the Supreme Court affirmed the Election Commission of India’s authority to freeze and reassign party symbols, ordering new emblems for twelve contested parties within ninety days. That precedent guided the commission’s 2026 decision to freeze Trinamool Congress’s name and symbol, prompting leader Mamata Banerjee to petition the court. The rule that a symbol cannot be shared across parties remains a safeguard of Indian elections.

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Banerjee endorses arrested nominee

On September 19 2026, Trinamool Congress candidates withdrew from the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly by-polls in West Bengal.
The withdrawals followed the Election Commission’s freeze of the party’s original name and symbol, prompting Mamata Banerjee to endorse Congress nominee Milan Pradhan.
Milan Pradhan was arrested on September 19 2026 on four non-bailable warrants from the 2007 Nandigram protests.
Banerjee filed a Supreme Court petition challenging commission’s freeze of the party’s name and symbol.

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