Mamata to support Congress in Nandigram bypoll after Mamata AITC candidate withdraws nomination
Mamata Banerjee announced her support for Congress candidates in upcoming bypolls after her own party candidate withdrew from the Nandigram seat. This follows a legal setback regarding her party's name and symbol.
Why it matters
The political realignment and loss of party identity signal significant instability within the regional political landscape of West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee said on Friday (September 18, 2026) that she will support Congress candidate in Nandigram Assembly and Assam Lok Sabha bypolls.
She made this announcement after Candidate of Mamata All India Trinamool Congress Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) withdrew her nomination from Nandigram Assembly seat, leaving the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress without a candidate in Nandigram.
Ms. Pradhan (Dey) took the decision after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
The development came hours after the Election Commission assigned the Ms. Banerjee-led faction a new party name and symbol for the October 6 bypolls, effectively ending its immediate claim to the Trinamool Congress' traditional identity.
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