The Congress is not considering any electoral understanding with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal for now, despite backing the Mamata Banerjee-led faction in its dispute over the party's name and election symbol.
Congress leaders in West Bengal have maintained that any alliance with the Trinamool Congress would face opposition from the party's grassroots workers, citing the strained relationship between the two parties in the state.
A senior state Congress leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the party's state and national leadership were on the same page on the issue.
The leader said Congress workers had not forgotten the attempts allegedly made by the Trinamool Congress to weaken the party in West Bengal between 2011 and 2016, as well as the alleged incidents of violence and humiliation faced by Congress workers during the period.
The Congress leader also said the party was currently focused on strengthening itself as a challenger to the BJP in West Bengal rather than entering into an electoral arrangement with any of the Trinamool factions.
The developments come amid the ongoing dispute over the Trinamool Congress' name and election symbol. The Election Commission has frozen the use of the original party name and its traditional symbol amid the factional dispute, with separate names and symbols allotted to the rival groups for the upcoming Nandigram bypoll.
Meanwhile, the Congress has decided to highlight the arrest of its Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan as a major political issue.
Pradhan was arrested by the West Bengal Police on Friday in connection with an old murder case linked to the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement. His arrest came hours after Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support his candidature in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.
Mamata's faction had earlier fielded Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who withdrew her candidature after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Following her withdrawal, Mamata announced support for Pradhan and described the Congress as a "sister party", saying the move was aimed at strengthening the INDIA bloc.
Congress leaders have questioned the timing of Pradhan's arrest. The party said it would pursue the matter legally and raise it at both the state and national levels. Congress spokesperson Mita Chakraborty questioned whether the arrest, coming shortly after Mamata's announcement, was an attempt to restrict the Opposition's political space.
Pradhan is facing cases dating back to the 2007 Nandigram agitation. Reports have said multiple cases and warrants are pending against him, though the exact case linked to the latest arrest has not been fully detailed in all reports.
The Nandigram bypoll is scheduled for October 6, with the contest unfolding against the backdrop of the dispute within the Trinamool Congress and the wider political rivalry between the Congress, Trinamool factions and BJP in West Bengal.
