The political contest in West Bengal’s Nandigram Assembly bypoll took a fresh turn on Friday after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate backed by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress, withdrew her nomination. The development came hours after she met West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat, Nabanna.
Sanchita Pradhan Dey Withdraws Nomination
Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her candidature on September 18, a day before the deadline for withdrawal of nominations. She had been announced as the Mamata Banerjee faction’s candidate for the Nandigram bypoll earlier this month.
According to reports, Pradhan Dey met Suvendu Adhikari at Nabanna shortly before withdrawing from the contest. The reason for her decision has not been independently established. Reports of their meeting have triggered speculation, but the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal remain subject to further clarification.
Election Commission Assigns New Name and Symbol
The development came on the same day that the Election Commission allotted a new name and symbol to the Mamata Banerjee-led faction amid an ongoing dispute within the Trinamool Congress. The faction was assigned a new identity for the upcoming bypolls.
Nandigram Bypoll on October 6
The Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls are scheduled to be held on October 6, with counting set for October 9. The Nandigram contest has attracted significant attention because of the political history of the constituency and the involvement of senior leaders from opposing camps.
Following the withdrawal, Mamata Banerjee’s faction has announced support for the Congress candidate in Nandigram.