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Kolkata, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Sanchita Dey Pradhan, the candidate of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll in West Bengal's East Midnapore district, withdrew her nomination on Friday after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
The development came hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted new names and election symbols to the two rival factions of the Trinamool Congress amid the ongoing dispute over the party's identity. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction was allotted the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'Football Player' symbol, while the rival faction was allotted the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'Envelope' symbols.
Pradhan met Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat, Nabanna, before returning to Haldia, where she withdrew her nomination from the contest. Her withdrawal leaves the Mamata-led faction without a candidate in Nandigram.
Soon after the withdrawal, Mamata Banerjee announced at a press conference at her Kalighat residence in South Kolkata that her faction would support Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in the Nandigram bypoll.
“We will not contest in Nandigram. We will support our sister party, Congress. This will strengthen the INDIA bloc,” Banerjee said.
She said Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had called her on Thursday night, following which she decided to support the Congress candidate.
“We are all together; we will fight together. We will support all normal alliances. We will support our sister parties,” Banerjee said.
On the Rejinagar Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district, which is also scheduled for a bypoll, Banerjee said a decision would be taken later.
The move marks the first time since Mamata Banerjee's party came to power in West Bengal with Congress support in 2011 that she has publicly backed a Congress candidate in Nandigram.
The Election Commission had on Thursday temporarily frozen the name. 'All India Trinamool Congress' and the party's traditional 'Flowers & Grass' symbol amid the dispute between the two factions. On Friday, it assigned separate names and symbols to the rival groups.
The Nandigram bypoll is scheduled for October 6, with the withdrawal of Pradhan's nomination adding a fresh turn to the contest.