There is no end to the drama in Nandigram. This time, Congress candidate from the constituency, Milan Pradhan, has been arrested. Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had announced her support for the Congress in Nandigram. Police arrested the candidate in connection with a case dating back to 2007. The Congress, however, has alleged that the arrest was politically motivated.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury reacted: “It is a very strange development. After the election was announced and after the Congress candidate, Milan Pradhan, had filed his nomination, the police arrested him in connection with some old case dating back to a bygone era. The ruling BJP in West Bengal is turning the election into a farce. At the same time, they are afraid that the BJP may be swept away by the wave of public support that the Congress is receiving after entering the electoral fray. Today, all the political parties in Nandigram are coming together against the BJP and want to support the Congress. That is why the BJP has become nervous and arrested Milan Pradhan. The people of West Bengal will not accept this.”

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “What are they so afraid of? When Mamata Banerjee announced her political decision to support the Congress candidate in Nandigram, they realised that the Congress candidate had a strong chance of winning because Mamata Banerjee was supporting him. The Chief Minister has been claiming that they will win this many seats and that many seats, but on the ground we are seeing a lack of confidence. The BJP leaders certainly realised that after Mamata Banerjee announced her support, the electoral arithmetic could change dramatically. That is why they arrested him.”

Why was the Congress candidate arrested?

The arrest of Nandigram Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has triggered a political war of words. The opposition has alleged that the arrest was politically motivated. However, according to the police, Milan Pradhan was arrested because a warrant had been issued against him by Nandigram Police Station under four non-bailable sections.

The accused faces allegations including murder, attempt to murder and abduction. Milan Pradhan had allegedly been absconding since 2007 — for nearly 19 years. He was also shown as absconding in the charge sheets filed in the cases.

Police had attempted to execute the warrants several times in the past but had failed.
During elections, the Election Commission directs authorities to execute outstanding warrants. The police therefore arrested Congress leader Milan Pradhan in accordance with the Election Commission’s instructions.

What is the political significance of the arrest?

The Congress is likely to seek to turn the arrest of its candidate, Milan Pradhan, ahead of the election into a major political issue. The party may seek electoral advantage by arguing that the ruling BJP is trying to silence the opposition through the use of political muscle.

The BJP, on the other hand, is likely to argue that the Congress could not find a clean candidate and instead fielded someone facing serious criminal allegations. With other issues potentially taking a back seat, political observers believe that the arrest of Milan Pradhan could become one of the biggest issues in the Nandigram election.

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