Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday ordered the freezing of the “name” and “symbol” of Trinamool Congress as a political party for the time being, for both the factions in Trinamool Congress— the first being the “original but minority” faction led by the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, and the second faction being the “rebel but majority” faction led by the expelled party legislator, Ritabrata Banerjee.
This means that neither the Mamata Banerjee-led faction nor the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction would be able to use both the “party name” as well as the “party symbol” for any election till the Commission takes a final decision in the matter.
The decision from the ECI to freeze the party name and symbol comes hours after the full bench of the Commission met five-member delegations from both the factions earlier in the day at ECI’s headquarters in New Delhi.
Technically, this means that neither of the two factions would be able to use this “party name” and “party symbol” for the forthcoming by-elections for Nandigram assembly constituency in East Midnapore district and Rejinagar assembly constituency in Murshidabad District, which are scheduled on October 6, with the results to be declared on October 9.
However, things have become even more complicated since the last date of nominations for bypolls for Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly constituencies was on September 16. Probably, that is why the scrutiny of the nominations filed by the candidates from both the factions had been kept on hold till Friday afternoon.
As per the order of the ECI released on Thursday night, both the factions will have to inform the Commission about their newly chosen “names” and “symbols” by 11 a.m. on Friday.
If any of the two factions fails to update the Commission about their newly chosen “names” and “symbols” within that period, both factions will be out of the race in the bypolls for Nandigram and Rejinagar.
Describing the order as unconstitutional, Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress’s four-time Lok Sabha member and the most prominent political as well as the legal face of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, told media persons that since the Commission’s order was unconstitutional, the faction that he represents is not accepting it.
“We will do whatever is required now. But as of now, if we have to choose a symbol, we have that till 11 a.m. on Friday. We are not accepting this order. Just as illegal things have to be accepted temporarily, this too has to be accepted,” he added.
Trinamool Congress legislator Akhruzzaman, who is the official Chief Whip of Trinamool Congress’s legislative party in the West Bengal assembly, however, welcomed the decision of the ECI in the matter. “We are confident that finally, we will have the right over the party name and symbol,” he said.
(IANS)
