Story perspectives

Congress files bail plea for Milan Pradhan in Calcutta HC

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 5:33 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Congress Files Bail

West Bengal Congress filed a Calcutta High Court bail petition for Nandigram candidate Milan Pradhan.
The party also lodged a writ petition contesting BJP nominee Hasirani Rath’s affidavit age and education details.
Pradhan was arrested last week and remanded to judicial custody until October 5 on multiple non-bailable warrants.
Nandigram by-poll is scheduled for October 6, with campaigning ending October 4 and counting on October 9.

Summary

Banerjee Blames BJP

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of a vendetta after announcing support for Pradhan.
The BJP rejected the claim, stating the arrest stems from pending criminal cases, not political motives.
State police said Pradhan evaded arrest for 19 years and the warrant follows Election Commission instructions.
The pending cases arise from 2007 anti-land acquisition protests that made Nandigram a flashpoint.

History

Historical Context

The 25 May 1967 police firing in Naxalbari, where nine women and a child were killed, sparked an armed peasant revolt that birthed the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) in 1969 and seeded the long-running Naxalite-Maoist insurgency across several states. This legacy of land-rights militancy continues to shape West Bengal’s electoral confrontations.

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Congress Files Bail

West Bengal Congress filed a Calcutta High Court bail petition for Nandigram candidate Milan Pradhan.
The party also lodged a writ petition contesting BJP nominee Hasirani Rath’s affidavit age and education details.
Pradhan was arrested last week and remanded to judicial custody until October 5 on multiple non-bailable warrants.
Nandigram by-poll is scheduled for October 6, with campaigning ending October 4 and counting on October 9.

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