The two factions of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are gearing up for their first electoral battle, upcoming bypolls at two West Bengal assembly seats amid uncertainty over who the Election Commission of India (ECI) will grant the right to the party’s poll symbol.
EC announced on Monday that bypolls to Murshidabad district’s Rejinargar and East Midnapore’s Nandigram will be held on October 6 and the results would be announced on October 9. The nominations can be filed between September 9 and 16.
“We are the TMC. Mamata Banerjee loyalists did not comment on candidate selection till Tuesday afternoon, but veteran MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party might use its control over the administration to secure the seats. “BJP will use the police to control the elections. “The symbol is crucial. At the same time, it will be interesting to see if the Left or the Congress can do well, as was noticed in Falta.
Former state minister Firhad Hakim, once counted among TMC founder Mamata Banerjee’s closest aides and now in the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rival group calling itself the “real TMC,” said his “party” will contest both seats. We will win both seats,” Hakim said. Our supporters will be beaten up by BJP workers,” Chattopadhyay said. The results will affect the coming municipal polls in Kolkata and the districts,” political columnist Suvashis Maitra said.
Akhruzzaman, the chief whip of the same faction in the state assembly said, “Our working committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday to decide both candidates.
