The Indian National Congress (INC) has ruled out any electoral understanding with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, even as the party has expressed support for the Mamata Banerjee-led faction in its ongoing dispute with the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the freezing of the party's original name and symbol. The stance was confirmed by senior state and national leadership as of 19 September 2026.

Congress Position on Alliance

A senior West Bengal Congress leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that any electoral arrangement with any of the three factions within the Trinamool Congress would be deeply unpopular at the grassroots level. 'We (Congress) have made our arguments very clear to our high command. Any kind of understanding with any of the three factions within Trinamool Congress will not be taken lightly by the grassroots level Congress workers,' the leader said.

The leader cited the period between 2011 and 2016, during which the TMC allegedly made repeated attempts to poach Congress members in the state. 'Our party workers have not forgotten the kind of tortures and humiliations they faced during the previous Trinamool Congress government,' he added. The Congress high command in New Delhi, according to the source, is aligned with the state leadership on this position.

The Milan Pradhan Arrest and Congress Strategy

The Congress has simultaneously decided to spotlight the arrest of Milan Pradhan, its candidate for the forthcoming Nandigram bypoll, who was detained by the West Bengal Police on Friday in connection with an old murder case. The party intends to frame the arrest as a politically motivated act by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-aligned administration and escalate the issue to the national level.

'Our aim right now is to establish Congress as the most formidable challenger for the BJP in West Bengal,' the senior state leader said. A Supreme Court senior advocate and senior party leader is reportedly set to represent Pradhan in court. The party plans to pursue both a legal and political campaign simultaneously over the arrest.

Details of the Cases Against Pradhan

Milan Pradhan was arrested on Friday in connection with an old murder case and was set to be produced before a court on Saturday, where the public prosecutor was expected to seek police custody. Pradhan faces four cases related to rioting, murder, and criminal intimidation, all registered in 2007 in connection with the anti-land acquisition movement during the Left Front government led by the late Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

Political Context and What It Means

The Congress position reflects a broader recalibration of opposition dynamics in West Bengal ahead of the Nandigram bypoll. By distancing itself from TMC while attacking the BJP, the party is attempting to carve out a third-force identity in a state that has historically been a two-party contest. Notably, the party's willingness to back TMC on the ECI symbol row — a procedural, not electoral, matter — does not, in their framing, translate into any political accommodation on the ground. The outcome of Pradhan's court hearing and the party's national amplification effort will be key markers of whether Congress can convert the arrest narrative into tangible electoral momentum.