Story perspectives

Court denies bail to Milan Pradhan, orders custody

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 4:21 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Milan Pradhan Denied Bail

Local court denied bail to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan and placed him in judicial custody.
Calcutta High Court ordered West Bengal government not to block Pradhan’s candidacy until October 9.
State counsel said five of six challenged cases were withdrawn and Pradhan is not an accused in the sixth.
Trinamool Congress faction pledged support for Pradhan after original candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew.

Summary

Election Commission Splits TMC

Election Commission froze All India Trinamool Congress name and its “Jora Ghash Phul” symbol amid internal split.
Banerjee’s faction received a provisional “football player” symbol for the Nandigram and Rejinagar by-polls.
Election officials scheduled separate ballot papers for each faction’s candidates to avoid voter confusion.
Rival TMC factions were assigned distinct party names and symbols, changing ballot presentation.

History

Historical Context

In 1999, the Indian National Congress split, forming the Nationalist Congress Party and prompting the Election Commission of India to assign the ‘Clock’ symbol. The ruling affected 1.2 million Maharashtra voters, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP captured 2.5 % of the national vote in that Lok Sabha election. Today, High Court denied bail to Milan Pradhan, while Election Commission froze Trinamool Congress name and its “Jora Ghash Phul” symbol, echoing the 1999 dispute. Such interventions can reshape party competition, prompting voter realignments, altering campaign strategies, and influencing outcomes before upcoming by-polls across West Bengal.

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Milan Pradhan Denied Bail

Local court denied bail to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan and placed him in judicial custody.
Calcutta High Court ordered West Bengal government not to block Pradhan’s candidacy until October 9.
State counsel said five of six challenged cases were withdrawn and Pradhan is not an accused in the sixth.
Trinamool Congress faction pledged support for Pradhan after original candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew.

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