A fresh political development has changed the contest for the Nandigram Assembly by-election in West Bengal. Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been announced as the candidate of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, has withdrawn from the election. The decision came after she met West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat in Kolkata. With the withdrawal, Mamata Banerjee's faction is left without a candidate in Nandigram. Banerjee subsequently announced that her faction would support the Congress nominee in the constituency. The development comes at a particularly important stage of the election process because the deadline for withdrawing nominations was approaching. Reports said there was no longer enough time for Banerjee's faction to name another candidate for the seat.

Sanchita Pradhan Dey Withdraws From Nandigram Contest

Sanchita Pradhan Dey had been selected as the candidate of Banerjee's faction only days before the withdrawal. She is a teacher who had previously lost her job following the cancellation of thousands of teacher appointments linked to an alleged recruitment irregularities case. Her selection had attracted attention because Nandigram is one of the most closely watched political constituencies in West Bengal. Dey's withdrawal followed her meeting with Suvendu Adhikari at Nabanna, the state secretariat. According to reports, she attended the meeting with her husband, Satyajit, before subsequently withdrawing her nomination.

Mamata Announces Support for Congress Candidate

After Dey's withdrawal, Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in Nandigram. Banerjee also referred to a conversation with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. According to her statement, Gandhi had contacted her regarding the wider dispute over the party's name and election symbol. Banerjee said the Nandigram issue had not been discussed during that call, although she had already been considering support for Congress in the constituency. Congress has nominated Milan Pradhan for the Nandigram by-election. With Banerjee's faction no longer fielding its own candidate, the electoral contest now has a different configuration from the one initially announced.

Election Commission Decision Adds to the Dispute

The candidate's withdrawal came amid another major development involving the Election Commission. The poll panel had barred the rival factions from using the traditional Trinamool Congress name and the party's familiar election symbol for the upcoming by-elections. The commission subsequently assigned separate names and symbols to the two factions. Banerjee's faction was allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress along with a new symbol, while the rival faction was assigned the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and a different symbol. The dispute over the party's identity has become an important part of the political developments surrounding the by-elections.

Why Nandigram Is Important

Nandigram has major political significance in West Bengal because it was the constituency where Mamata Banerjee faced Suvendu Adhikari in the 2021 Assembly election. Adhikari had previously been associated with Banerjee's political organisation before moving to the BJP. Their contest in Nandigram became one of the most closely followed battles of that election. The constituency has remained politically important because of the direct contest between the two leaders and their competing political organisations. The upcoming Nandigram bypoll was necessitated after Adhikari won two Assembly seats in the 2026 election and subsequently retained Bhabanipur, leaving Nandigram vacant.

Congress Candidate Now Gets Mamata Faction's Support

Following Dey's withdrawal, Congress candidate Milan Pradhan will contest Nandigram with the announced backing of Banerjee's faction. The Congress and Banerjee's Trinamool faction have had a complicated political relationship in West Bengal. The Congress has traditionally competed against the Trinamool Congress in the state, while both parties have also been associated nationally with opposition cooperation. Banerjee's decision to support Congress in Nandigram therefore represents a significant change in the immediate electoral arrangement for this bypoll. She said her faction had already decided to support Congress in Nandigram. Her announcement came after Dey's withdrawal and amid the dispute surrounding the party name and symbol.

Suvendu Adhikari's Role in the Latest Development

Suvendu Adhikari is central to the Nandigram political contest because he currently represents the constituency and is also the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Dey's meeting with Adhikari shortly before her withdrawal has drawn attention because of the timing. Several reports have highlighted the sequence of events, but the meeting itself does not establish why Dey withdrew her candidature. Reports have described the meeting in different ways, including as a meeting whose significance was being examined in political circles. Any claims about the motive behind the withdrawal remain subject to confirmation unless directly established by the people involved.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Reacts

The development also triggered a response from Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Chowdhury criticised Banerjee's political faction and referred to the withdrawal of its Nandigram candidate. He also questioned what would happen in Rejinagar, where Banerjee's faction has fielded another candidate. His comments reflect the Congress's own political position in West Bengal and its differences with Banerjee's faction. At the same time, Congress's central leadership has supported cooperation with Banerjee's faction over the wider dispute concerning the Election Commission's decision on the party identity.

Nandigram Bypoll Scheduled for October 6

The Nandigram Assembly by-election is scheduled for October 6, 2026, with counting scheduled for October 9. The election became necessary after Suvendu Adhikari retained the Bhabanipur seat after winning two constituencies in the 2026 Assembly election. Congress has fielded Milan Pradhan, while the CPI has nominated Shanti Gopal Giri. The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, according to reports. With Banerjee's faction withdrawing its own candidate and extending support to Congress, the electoral field has changed significantly from the original plan.

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Broader Political Context in West Bengal

The latest developments are taking place against the backdrop of an internal dispute involving rival Trinamool Congress factions. The Election Commission's decision to assign different names and symbols to the factions has added another layer to the political contest. Banerjee's side is now operating under a new allotted identity for the upcoming by-elections, while the rival faction has received a separate name and symbol. The Nandigram candidate's withdrawal has added another major development to the situation. For voters, the immediate electoral picture is now different from what was announced earlier, with Congress receiving the announced support of Banerjee's faction in the constituency.

What Happened in Nandigram?

The sequence of events can be summarised as follows: Sanchita Pradhan Dey was announced as the candidate of Mamata Banerjee's faction for the Nandigram by-election. She later met Suvendu Adhikari at Nabanna and subsequently withdrew her nomination. The withdrawal left Banerjee's faction without a candidate in the constituency. Banerjee then announced support for the Congress nominee Milan Pradhan. The development occurred alongside the Election Commission's decision concerning the names and symbols of rival Trinamool factions.

Why did the Nandigram candidate withdraw?

Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Reports confirm the sequence of events, but they do not establish a definitive reason for her withdrawal.

Who is Congress's candidate in Nandigram?

Congress has fielded Milan Pradhan for the Nandigram Assembly by-election. Mamata Banerjee subsequently announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the constituency.

When is the Nandigram by-election?

The Nandigram Assembly by-election is scheduled for October 6, 2026, with counting scheduled for October 9.