Mamata’s Rejinagar Candidate Rabiul Reverses Withdrawal Decision, To Contest Bypolls

The political uncertainty surrounding West Bengal's upcoming Assembly bypolls intensified on Saturday as Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the Rejinagar candidate backed by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, reversed his decision to withdraw from the contest and announced that he would remain in the race.

Chowdhury's decision came only hours after he had publicly said he was stepping away from the Rejinagar election. His morning announcement had cited the dispute over the Trinamool Congress' name and election symbol, along with alleged pressure on workers associated with the Mamata Banerjee faction.

The dramatic reversal comes a day after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the Mamata faction's candidate in Nandigram, withdrew from that contest. Banerjee subsequently extended support to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in Nandigram. Pradhan was later arrested in connection with an old murder case linked to the 2007 anti-land acquisition agitation.