Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate fielded by Mamata Banerjee’s faction of the Trinamool Congress for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, has withdrawn from the contest.

The development came a day after the Election Commission announced that the rival Trinamool factions would not be allowed to use the party’s existing name and symbol for the upcoming bypolls. The poll panel later allotted new names and symbols to the two factions.

Dey had been announced as the Mamata faction’s Nandigram candidate on Sunday. She is a teacher in Nandigram who had lost her job following the cancellation of the appointments of 26,000 teachers in connection with an alleged recruitment scam.

Sanchita Pradhan Dey met Suvendu Adhikari

According to sources, Dey met West Bengal Chief Minister and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday. A photograph of the meeting also emerged.

Her withdrawal was announced on Friday afternoon as Mamata Banerjee was addressing a press conference over the Election Commission’s decision concerning the Trinamool factions.

With Dey no longer in the contest, Banerjee announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram bypoll.

Banerjee said the decision had been taken within her party and that she had spoken with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while noting that the Congress had not been informed about the decision at that point.

New names and symbols for Trinamool factions

The Election Commission has allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol to the faction led by Mamata Banerjee.

The rival faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.

The Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls are scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9.

BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has alleged that his convoy was attacked in Punjab while he was travelling towards Pathankot to attend a party event.

According to Bittu, the incident took place near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, where a group of people allegedly threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at his convoy.

The incident occurred as Bittu was travelling to Pathankot for an anti-drug campaign being launched by BJP president Nitin Nabin.

What happened to Ravneet Bittu’s convoy?

Bittu’s convoy, comprising around eight to nine vehicles, came under attack near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, according to his account.

He alleged that protesters threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at the vehicles. Bittu further claimed that the windows of two escort vehicles were broken and that a jammer vehicle was also damaged.

The protesters also reportedly blocked the road, making it difficult for the convoy to continue towards Pathankot.

The incident took place near an area where the ‘Babe da viyah’ festival was being celebrated.

Three protesters reportedly caught

Bittu’s office said his security team caught three people who were allegedly involved in the incident.

His office further alleged that the three were linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). However, the allegation was denied by the AAP.

AAP leader Joban Randhawa said the party’s workers were protesting peacefully and alleged that Bittu’s supporters had targeted them.

The competing claims have not been independently established in the report.

What did Ravneet Singh Bittu say?

Bittu said he had informed the Union Home Ministry about the incident. He also held Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state’s Director General of Police responsible for his safety in the event of any harm to him or people associated with him.

His office called for an investigation into the incident and raised concerns about the safety of political leaders and workers.

Why was Bittu travelling to Pathankot?

Ravneet Singh Bittu was travelling to Pathankot to attend the BJP’s anti-drug campaign event. BJP president Nitin Nabin was scheduled to launch the campaign in Pathankot.

The incident occurred amid preparations for the BJP’s political activities in Punjab ahead of the state’s next Assembly election.

Who is Ravneet Singh Bittu?

Ravneet Singh Bittu is a BJP leader and former Union minister. He served as Minister of State for Railways and Minister of State for Food Processing Industries before resigning from the Union Council of Ministers in July 2026.

His tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP had ended in June 2026.

Apple’s latest Pro iPhones have officially gone on sale in India, with customers turning up early at Apple stores to get their hands on the new devices.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max went on sale in India on September 18, with long queues reported at Apple stores in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Noida. Some buyers arrived several hours before stores opened, hoping to be among the first customers to collect the new iPhones.

The launch-day rush comes despite the higher starting prices of Apple’s latest Pro models. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 in India, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900.

Buyers arrive early for iPhone 18 Pro sale

Customers gathered outside Apple stores well before the start of sales. In Bengaluru, one buyer said he reached the store at around 5 am and described the annual iPhone launch as a festival.

In Noida, a customer who travelled from Punjab said he had been waiting since 6 am to buy the new iPhone. As per the report he purchased three iPhone 18 Pro Max devices.

The first-day demand was not limited to customers who were upgrading from older iPhones. Buyers also travelled from other cities to collect their pre-booked devices.

iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max price in India

The iPhone 18 Pro is available in four storage configurations in India.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900 for the 256GB model. The 512GB version costs Rs 2,04,900, while the 1TB and 2TB versions are priced at Rs 2,54,900 and Rs 3,29,900, respectively.

What is new in the iPhone 18 Pro?

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max feature a 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture and new Pro camera controls.

The phones are powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip and feature a new vapour chamber aimed at supporting performance, AI capabilities and battery life. The latest Pro models are available in black, silver, glacier and a new burgundy finish.

Apple also launches its first foldable iPhone

Apple’s new lineup also includes the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable iPhone.

The foldable device has a 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR display and a 5.4-inch outer display. Apple says it is its thinnest iPhone when fully opened.

In India, pre-orders for the iPhone Duo are scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm IST on October 16, while sales are set to start on October 23. The device starts at Rs 2,99,900.

Why are buyers queuing for the iPhone 18 Pro?

Several buyers interviewed during the launch said they arrived early because they wanted to be among the first customers to receive the new iPhones.

Several buyers interviewed during the launch said they had arrived early because they wanted to be among the first customers to receive the new model. One Bengaluru buyer, who said he has purchased iPhones since the iPhone 7, described the annual launch as a festival.