Kolkata/Berhampore, Sept. 20 -- An intense political drama unfolded in West Bengal on Saturday after Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the candidate fielded by Mamata Banerjee for the upcoming bypoll in Murshidabad's Rejinagar on October 6, announced that he would withdraw his nomination only to make U-turn in less than two hours. Chowdhury told reporters around 10:50am that he was planning to withdraw his nomination after speaking to Banerjee on Friday night. "Our workers are being pressured and threatened with arrests. Some have also been arrested. They are not able to campaign. We are planning to step aside. I spoke to Banerjee last night and told her everything. She asked me to take the call. Secondly, we will have to contest with a new symbol. I am planning to withdraw my nomination," he said. However, around 12:30pm, Chowdhury made a U-turn, saying he would contest the bypoll. "I had a word with Banerjee. I will start campaigning. Senior leaders of the party will come to Rejinagar to campaign for me. Banerjee may also come," he said. "Our Rejinagar candidate will fight the bypoll using the temporary symbol - football player. All speculation is put to rest," the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, the name allotted by the Election Commission of India to the Banerjee-led faction, said in a statement. The development came less than 24 hours after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, Banerjee's candidate in Nandigram, withdrew her nomination on Friday. Dey had met West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday evening. She did not publicly explain her decision. Banerjee subsequently announced support for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in Nandigram, calling the Congress a "sister party". Hours later, Pradhan was arrested by the West Bengal police in connection with four murder cases linked to the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram. East Midnapore police said in a statement that he was arrested based on four pending non-bailable warrants. This effectively ends Pradhan's opportunity to canvass for himself as the campaign for the bypoll ends on October 4. The Congress questioned the timing of the arrest. "All the cases against Pradhan were registered during the anti-land acquisition movement in 2007. Similar cases were registered against several other persons. Suvendu Adhikari and his father Sisir Adhikari were also among the leaders during that movement. Why was he arrested after so many years and that too when he has filed the nomination?" state Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said. Police said Pradhan had been absconding. A senior official, requesting anonymity, said execution of long-pending non-bailable warrants was a standing Election Commission instruction before elections and bypolls....