It’s the season of political setbacks for Mamata Banerjee. A day after her candidate for Nandigram withdrew from the bypoll battle, her party’s candidate for Rejinagar by-election has done the same.
Both Nandigram and Rejinagar are set to vote on October 6 in the by-elections. And Mamata Banerjee has now lost candidates in both the seats.
Earlier on Friday, Nandigram candidate from Mamata Banerjee’s faction Sanchita Pradhan Dey had withdrew her nomination after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. After her own candidate backed out of the Nandigram bypoll, Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced support to the Congress nominee. Mamata Banerjee had suffered another major blow on Thursday when the Election Commission announced it was freezing the Trinamool name and symbol; thus, neither the Mamata Banerjee faction nor Ritabrata Banerjee’s group could use them for the bypolls.
Chowdhury blamed harassment of party workers by the state administration for his decision. “At this moment, the party lacks an official symbol. Party workers are being harassed in various ways, and most of them have left the area for work. With whom am I supposed to contest the election? Given the pressure being exerted by the administration, the workers say they cannot remain in the electoral fray. The Election Commission later allotted new names and symbols for both the factions in the interim. Mamata Banerjee has gone to the Supreme Court against the Election Commission’s decision to temporarily freeze the name and symbol of the Trinamool Congress amid contesting claims from the rival groups.
But eventhat surprise move was checkmated as the Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested on Fiiday evening in a 2007 murder case.
That is precisely why I have decided to withdraw my nomination,” he told mediapersons. Mamata Banerjee’s faction is now called Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and has been given a “Football Player” as the symbol. The group led by Arup Roy and Ritabrata Banerjee has been allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “Envelope” symbol.
