Mamata Banerjee Faction Shifts Support Amid Trinamool Congress Split

West Bengal will hold Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar on October 6, following the vacation of seats by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and AJUP chief Humayun Kabir. The elections are marked by a split in the Trinamool Congress, leading the Election Commission of India to freeze the party's original name and 'flowers-and-grass' symbol. The commission allotted the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and a 'footballer' symbol to the faction led by Mamata Banerjee, while the rival 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' faction received an 'envelope' symbol.

In Nandigram, the Mamata-led faction withdrew its candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, to support Congress candidate Milan Pradhan. Shortly after this shift, Pradhan was arrested on warrants dating back to 2007, an action the Congress party described as politically motivated. In Rejinagar, candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury initially withdrew his nomination, citing administrative pressure on workers and symbol confusion, but later retracted the decision after Banerjee intervened.

The bypolls also feature the AJUP, whose leader Humayun Kabir accused the Election Commission of a conspiracy after the party's 'whistle' symbol was reassigned to another party. While the BJP dismissed allegations of authoritarianism, Suvendu Adhikari framed the upcoming vote as a test of loyalty for those wishing to work with the current government.