Kolkata : Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, who was picked by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for West Bengal’s Rejinagar Assembly bypoll, on Saturday said he had withdrawn his nomination. Chowdhury said the decision to withdraw his nomination came following deliberations with Mamata herself. Firstly, we have to fight on a new symbol. Our workers are being hounded, threatened and arrested. We are unable to give them protection. How can we contest like this? Chowdhury said.
He added, That’s why I’ve decided to withdraw. I have spoken to Mamata Banerjee, and she has told me to do what is best. The announcement is being viewed as yet another jolt to Mamata as she grapples with a growing challenge to her authority from the rebel TMC faction led by Arup Roy. The Mamata camp has beeb assigned the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’, while its rival group has been given the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ by the Election Commission ahead of the October 6 bypolls in Rejinagar and Nandigram.
The EC allotted Mamata’s faction the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘football player’ symbol. The rival faction led by Arup Roy was given the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘envelope’ symbol. The poll panel said the temporary arrangement was necessary to ensure candidates from both factions could contest the bypolls. It said otherwise returning officers could have been required to reject their nomination papers because of the dispute over the party’s identity and frozen symbol.
Mamata has moved the Supreme Court against the EC’s decision to prevent her faction from using the original TMC name and its traditional symbol. The EC has said both factions will be treated as recognised political parties in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura for the time being. The new names and symbols will remain in place while the larger dispute over control of the party is decided.
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