KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s faction has suffered another setback after its candidate for the Rejinagar by-election, Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, withdrew his nomination on Saturday. His decision came a day after the party’s candidate in Nandigram also stepped out of the electoral contest.
Both Rejinagar and Nandigram are scheduled to vote on October 6, but the withdrawal of candidates has created fresh uncertainty for Mamata Banerjee’s faction ahead of the bypolls.
Chowdhury attributed his decision to alleged harassment of party workers by the state administration. He said the party was currently without its official election symbol, while several workers had left the area for employment. According to him, the prevailing circumstances made it difficult to conduct an effective election campaign.
His withdrawal followed the decision of Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the faction’s Nandigram candidate, to withdraw her nomination on Friday after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
In response to the Nandigram development, Mamata Banerjee announced support for the Congress candidate, Milan Pradhan. However, the political situation became more complicated after Pradhan was arrested on Friday evening in connection with a 2007 murder case.
The developments came shortly after the Election Commission temporarily froze the Trinamool Congress name and election symbol amid competing claims from rival factions. The decision prevented both groups from using the original party identity in the bypolls.
As an interim arrangement, Mamata Banerjee’s faction was allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol. The rival group led by Arup Roy and Ritabrata Banerjee received the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.
Mamata Banerjee has challenged the Election Commission’s decision in the Supreme Court, seeking relief over the party’s name and symbol.
