Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, has withdrawn her nomination, in a fresh development in the run-up to the October 6 election. The reason for her decision has not been made public so far. The development comes days after the Mamata-led faction named Dey as its Nandigram candidate on September 13.
Dey, a new face in electoral politics, had been chosen to contest the politically significant Nandigram seat. Her withdrawal leaves the Mamata-led faction without a candidate in the constituency unless another legal route becomes available. The last date for filing nominations was September 16, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until September 19.
The Mamata-led faction had announced Dey’s candidature alongside that of Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, who was named its candidate for the Rejinagar Assembly constituency in Murshidabad. Dey is a grassroots worker and schoolteacher and had unsuccessfully contested a panchayat samiti seat from Nandigram II in the 2023 panchayat elections.
The latest development comes amid an ongoing dispute within the Trinamool Congress, with rival factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee laying claim to the party’s name and election symbol. Both factions have fielded candidates for the bypolls, with the Election Commission dealing with the dispute over the party’s identity and symbol.
The Nandigram bypoll was necessitated after Suvendu Adhikari vacated the seat following his decision to retain Bhabanipur after winning both constituencies in the 2026 Assembly elections. Polling for Nandigram and Rejinagar is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9.
