Congress questions timing of candidate’s arrest ahead of Nandigram bypoll

On September 19, 2026, the Congress party expressed concern over the arrest of their candidate Milan Pradhan just before the Nandigram bypoll in West Bengal. This came after West Bengal's former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee endorsed the Congress, stating that the people would respond to such tactics at the right time.

Pawan Khera, the head of the Congress's media department, questioned the timing of the arrest, asking the West Bengal Police why they had taken action just because the party had received support from the former Chief Minister. Khera argued that people were eagerly awaiting a suitable moment to respond to such tactics.

The police indicated that Pradhan was arrested as part of a warrant connected to four cases related to rioting, murder, and criminal intimidation from the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram. The arrest was linked to a pending warrant, according to the police.

Khera also criticized the Centre for introducing a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on specified Unified Payments Interface (UPI) merchant transactions exceeding ₹2,000. He alleged that the move was influenced by pressure from the United States.

Should the U.S. continue to dictate policies, Khera suggested that the public might vote for President Donald Trump in the next election. Additionally, the Congress leader addressed posters featuring the phrases "Jhooth Ki Goonj" in opposition to Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chhatron Ki Goonj program set for evening in Indore.

Khera claimed that the BJP had been conducting a propaganda campaign against the Congress for the past 12 years, and the more the BJP opposed them, the more seats they would secure in upcoming elections.