Congress candidate Milan Pradhan on Tuesday, 6 October alleged that his polling agents were being threatened and forcibly removed by 'hooligans' as voting commenced in the Nandigram bypoll in West Bengal. Pradhan said his complaints to the Election Commission of India (ECI) had gone unanswered, raising serious concerns about the conduct of polling in this politically sensitive constituency.

What Pradhan Alleged

Speaking to reporters in Nandigram, Pradhan said, 'In this election, look, this is a by-election. In this by-election, every citizen has to vote. There is freedom.'

He added: 'Since last night and the day before, hooliganism has been going on here. My agents are being picked up and taken away; they are threatening them, and they forcibly took away papers. What is this? This is not right. This is not a system of freedom.'

Pradhan confirmed that a formal complaint had been filed with the ECI. 'We have filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India. However, we are not getting any response,' he said.

Background: Pradhan's Legal Battle and the Bypoll

Pradhan had only recently returned to active campaigning after securing interim bail from the Calcutta High Court in connection with cases linked to the 2007 Nandigram agitation — an episode that defined the political trajectory of the region for over a decade. His return to the field just days before polling underlined the high stakes surrounding this contest.

The bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari — who won both the Nandigram and Bhabanipur seats in this year's Assembly elections — chose to retain Bhabanipur and vacated the Nandigram seat.

BJP Candidate and Recent Violence

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of slain Adhikari aide Chandranath Rath, as its candidate for the seat. Chandranath Rath was killed in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, on 6 May, lending an emotionally charged dimension to the BJP's campaign in Nandigram.

ECI's Pre-Poll Action: Police Chief Replaced

On the eve of polling, the ECI ordered the immediate replacement of the inspector-in-charge of Nandigram Police Station in East Midnapore district. Ajay Kumar Mishra, who had been serving in that role, was replaced by Debasish Sarkar, previously the inspector-in-charge of the traffic control room in East Midnapore.

The Commission directed that the transfer be implemented without delay and a compliance report submitted by Monday evening. Notably, the ECI did not publicly disclose the reason for the abrupt change — and the timing of Mishra's removal, just one day before polling began, has drawn significant attention.

What Happens Next

Votes cast on Tuesday will be counted on 9 October. The Nandigram result is being closely watched as a test of political ground realities in East Midnapore following the Assembly election cycle. Any further complaints of poll-day irregularities could prompt fresh ECI intervention or judicial scrutiny, given the constituency's volatile history.