K C Venugopal, General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, declared on Saturday that the party will not pull Milan Pradhan from the Nandigram Assembly bypoll. Pradhan was detained on Friday in connection with a murder case tied to the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement. Party sources stated he is named in over 12 such cases.
The timing is suspicious, according to Venugopal. Hours earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced her faction of the Trinamool Congress would support Pradhan, withdrawing their own candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey. "Within an hour of Mamata Banerjee extending support to the Congress candidate, the police took that candidate into custody," Venugopal told reporters. He alleged that when Congress leaders visited the police station, officers admitted there was no substantive case but claimed Pradhan was being held temporarily.
Venugopal claimed police are pressuring Pradhan to withdraw by offering to drop cases and provide other facilities. The candidate was picked up from a hotel in Chandipur, Purba Medinipur district. "Is this the democracy functioning in this country?" Venugopal asked. He accused the BJP of attempting to eliminate opposition voices in West Bengal, arguing that the Congress, not the CPI(M), is the true counter to the ruling party in the state.
The AICC leader questioned the Election Commission’s inaction, asking how a candidate can be prevented from functioning after filing a nomination. "If there was a genuine case, it would be understandable. But bringing up a 15-year-old case now and saying, 'We will drop all cases if you withdraw'?" he said. Venugopal said he spoke to Pradhan and his relatives, who claimed the candidate made it clear he would not step down. "The candidate explicitly told us, 'Even if you kill me, I will not withdraw.' I feel proud of that candidate," Venugopal added.
The Congress plans to turn Nandigram into a national issue, labeling the situation "the darkest chapter in Indian democracy." Venugopal accused the BJP of turning Bengal into a "banana republic" and labeled the Election Commission an "agent of Prime Minister Modi." "No Congress worker will rest until we put an end to the BJP's fascism in this country," he warned. The bypoll dates have not been finalized, but the Election Commission is expected to issue a notice regarding the candidate's eligibility soon.