Arrested Congress candidate’s wife asks Opposition to back him

Arrested Nandigram Congress candidate Milan Pradhan’s wife has appealed to all Opposition parties on Thursday (September 24) to support her husband. Arpita Pradhan has said she will start campaigning for her arrested husband on Friday (September 25, 2026). 

Mr Pradhan himself has been absent from campaigning as his judicial custody remains till October 3, the campaign can run till October 4 as the bypolls are on October 6. 

Also Read | Calcutta HC asks State to allow Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to contest Nandigram bypoll

“We want everybody to be here. Anywhere there is wrongdoing, everyone should protest. Not just Mamata Banerjee, all opposition parties should come together to support. If needed, CPI(M) can also join,” Ms Pradhan said after she attended a Congress press conference in Kolkata. 

Ms Pradhan also said that her husband has been an honest worker of the Congress party for years and he has been targeted and arrested by the Chief Minister of West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari in 19-year-old fake cases. 

“These fake cases were filed during Nandigram protests; he fought for people’s rights, their land. During the same Nandigram protests, Suvendu Adhikari was also there, he is roaming around freely, then why is my husband in jail?” Ms Pradhan said, as she broke down speaking about her ordeal after her husband’s arrest. 

High Court developments 

The State Congress had also filed for Mr Pradhan’s bail at the Calcutta High Court. On Thursday, Justice Saugata Bhattacharya verbally asked the additional advocate general Rajdeep Majumdar to allow Mr. Pradhan to contest. 

Justice Bhattacharya raised concerns about why Mr Pradhan was arrested in a sixth case from 2007 even though he was already arrested in five cases from 2007. In the sixth case, a trial court sent Mr Pradhan to judicial custody till October 7, a day after the polls. 

However, the court has still not offered him bail in the five other cases and the next hearing is on Friday (September 25). 

Meanwhile, Congress supporters are conducting their rallies and door-to-door campaigns in the streets of Nandigram for Mr Pradhan even as he remains in judicial custody. 

Prakash Joshi, All India Congress Committee in-charge said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is trying their best to not let Mr Pradhan come out of jail to campaign for himself. 

“They are scared that if Milan Pradhan is out in the field, he will the elections, and BJP may lose,” Mr Joshi said from outside the Calcutta High Court.