Political tensions have escalated in West Bengal ahead of the October 6 bypolls, with Independent candidate from Rejinagar, Saiful Islam, being arrested on Saturday in connection with a five-year-old case stemming from a clash between two groups during the 2021 Assembly elections.According to the police, Islam, who is associated with the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) led by Humayun Kabir, was arrested by officials of Berhampore police station. The case relates to a clash that broke out between two groups during the previous Assembly elections.His arrest came a day after Congress candidate from Nandigram, Milan Pradhan, was arrested in connection with an almost two-decade-old case linked to an agitation against land acquisition. A local court subsequently remanded Pradhan to judicial custody until October 3.The arrests come amid heightened political activity in the run-up to the October 6 bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The two seats fell vacant after CM Suvendu Adhikari vacated Nandigram, a seat he had won alongside Bhabanipur, and Kabir retained Nawda after winning it alongside Rejinagar in the 2026 Assembly elections.The Nandigram contest also witnessed a significant political development last week when Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate from the Mamata Banerjee camp, withdrew her nomination on Friday, a day before the deadline, after meeting the West Bengal CM.Her withdrawal came hours after the Election Commission allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction a new party name and symbol for the October 6 bypolls, ending its immediate claim to the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) traditional identity.