Congress candidate for the West Bengal assembly by-election from the Nandigram constituency, Milan Pradhan, launched his election campaign on Wednesday, hours after being released from a correctional home in Haldia in East Midnapore.
Pradhan held a roadshow in a jeep. The ECI has announced by-polls in Nandigram and Rejinagar on October 6. Results will be declared on October 9. The campaign phase ends on October 4.
The by-election in Nandigram was necessitated after West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who won Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the May assembly polls, decided to retain Bhabanipur and vacated Nandigram. “On Wednesday he was received outside the correctional home by the state Congress president Subhankar Sarkar and other leaders of the party. Meanwhile, the Bengal government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking an immediate stay on the Calcutta high court order granting interim bail to Pradhan, arguing that a murder accused with six non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against him should not have been given such relief.
“I was almost dragged out of the hotel in Chandipur and shoved into a car by some police officials. I was blindfolded. I was then taken to a hotel where I was offered fruit juice, dry fruits and other dishes while being asked to withdraw my nomination. I refused. Mamata Banerjee, who now heads the Mamata Trinamool Congress (TMC), a faction of the All India Trinamool Congress, had extended support to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan after her own candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination. Meanwhile, the state government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Calcutta high court which gave interim bail to Pradhan.
Later I was again blindfolded and taken to Chandipur police station where I was arrested in a 19-year-old case,” Pradhan said while addressing his campaign.
He went to his residence to seek the blessings of his parents before starting the campaign,” general secretary of the state Congress Subhasish Bhattacharya said.
