Mamata backs Congress in Nandigram bypoll after TMC split, symbol row
Synopsis
In a dramatic sequence on 18 September, Mamata Banerjee's Nandigram candidate withdrew after meeting rival CM Suvendu Adhikari — hours after the ECI stripped the TMC of its name and symbol. Banerjee then backed the Congress, citing a call from Rahul Gandhi. It is the first time she has publicly supported a Congress candidate in Nandigram since 2011, and signals how deep the TMC's internal fracture now runs.
Key Takeaways
Sanchita Dey Pradhan , the Mamata faction's Nandigram bypoll candidate, withdrew her nomination on 18 September 2026 after meeting CM Suvendu Adhikari at Nabanna .
Mamata Banerjee announced support for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in Nandigram, citing a call from Rahul Gandhi on Thursday night.
The ECI froze the 'All India Trinamool Congress' name and 'Flowers & Grass' symbol; Mamata's faction received 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'Football Players' symbol.
Rival faction led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee was allotted 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'Envelope' symbol.
This is the first time Mamata Banerjee has publicly backed a Congress candidate in Nandigram since the 2011 elections that ended 34 years of Left Front rule.
A decision on the Rejinagar Assembly Constituency bypoll in Murshidabad is yet to be announced.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday, 18 September 2026, announced her support for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in the Nandigram Assembly Constituency bypoll in East Midnapore district, hours after the candidate fielded by her own faction — Sanchita Dey Pradhan — withdrew her nomination following a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The developments unfolded on the same day the Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted new names and symbols to two rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), deepening the party's public fracture.
The Withdrawal and What Triggered It
Sanchita Dey Pradhan met Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat Nabanna before formally withdrawing her nomination at the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Haldia. The sequence — a rival-party CM meeting followed by a same-day pullout — drew immediate political scrutiny, though no official explanation was provided for the timing of the meeting.
Speaking at a press conference at her residence in Kalighat, South Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee confirmed the decision to step aside: 'We will not contest in Nandigram. We will support our sister party, Congress. This will strengthen the INDIA bloc,' she said. She added that Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had called her on Thursday night, a conversation she credited with confirming the alliance direction. 'We are all together; we will fight together. We will support all normal alliances. We will support our sister parties,' she said.
ECI's Symbol Order Reshapes TMC Landscape
The backdrop to the Nandigram drama was a major ECI ruling that froze the original party name 'All India Trinamool Congress' and its iconic 'Flowers & Grass' symbol on Thursday night. On Friday, the Commission formally allotted the Mamata Banerjee- and Abhishek Banerjee-led faction the new name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the symbol 'Football Players'. The rival faction, led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, received the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the symbol 'Envelope'. The formal split signals a contested electoral future for a party that has dominated West Bengal politics for over a decade.
A Historic Shift: First Congress Support in Nandigram
Political observers note this is the first time Mamata Banerjee has publicly backed a Congress candidate in Nandigram since she led the TMC to power in 2011 alongside the Congress, ending 34 years of Left Front rule in West Bengal. Nandigram carries particular symbolic weight for Banerjee — it was the site of the 2007 land acquisition protests that launched her political ascent to the chief ministership, and later the constituency where Suvendu Adhikari defeated her in the 2021 Assembly elections.
Analysts describe the Nandigram move as, at minimum, a pragmatic consolidation within the INDIA bloc, though critics argue it also functions as a face-saving step for a leader navigating an unprecedented internal split. 'Political observers believe this move is possibly a face-saving exercise for the former Chief Minister amid the current situation within her party,' according to assessments circulating in political circles.
Rejinagar Decision Deferred
On the question of Rejinagar Assembly Constituency in Murshidabad district — also headed for a bypoll next month — Mamata Banerjee said a decision would be taken at a later date, leaving open the possibility of further alliance negotiations or fresh candidate announcements.
What Happens Next
With the symbol dispute formally resolved and the Nandigram field now narrowed, attention shifts to whether the INDIA bloc's informal ground coordination can hold, and whether the 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' can consolidate voter loyalty under an unfamiliar symbol. The Rejinagar bypoll decision will be a key next signal of how the restructured alliance intends to contest the upcoming polls.
Point of View
Citing Rahul Gandhi's call as her rationale, looks less like principled alliance-building and more like a damage-containment play triggered by the ECI's symbol order. Nandigram is not just any constituency: it is the seat where Adhikari defeated Banerjee in 2021, making it an especially loaded stage for any gesture of retreat. The deeper story is the ECI ruling, which has formally fractured the TMC's electoral identity at the worst possible moment before bypolls. Whether 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' can transfer voter loyalty — or whether both factions simply bleed votes to BJP and Congress — is the real question West Bengal's political arithmetic now hangs on.
NationPress
18 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Nandigram bypoll candidate from Mamata Banerjee's faction withdraw?
Sanchita Dey Pradhan withdrew her nomination on 18 September 2026 after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Nabanna, the state secretariat. No official reason was given for the meeting; the withdrawal was formalised at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate's office in Haldia shortly after.
Why is Mamata Banerjee supporting Congress in Nandigram?
Mamata Banerjee said Rahul Gandhi called her on Thursday night and she decided to back Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to strengthen the INDIA bloc. She described the Congress as a 'sister party' and said the alliance would contest together across normal partnership arrangements.
What did the Election Commission decide about the TMC's name and symbol?
The ECI on Thursday night froze the 'All India Trinamool Congress' name and 'Flowers & Grass' symbol. On Friday it allotted Mamata Banerjee's faction the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'Football Players' symbol, while the rival Ritabrata Banerjee-led group received 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'Envelope' symbol.
What is the significance of Nandigram for Mamata Banerjee?
Nandigram is historically significant as the epicentre of the 2007 land acquisition protests that fuelled Mamata Banerjee's rise to power. It is also the constituency where Suvendu Adhikari defeated her in the 2021 Assembly elections. This is the first time she has publicly backed a Congress candidate there since the 2011 elections.
What happens with the Rejinagar bypoll?
Mamata Banerjee said on 18 September that a decision on the Rejinagar Assembly Constituency bypoll in Murshidabad district would be taken at a later date. No candidate or alliance position has been announced yet for that seat.
