New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Amidst fast-paced developments on Friday, West Bengal’s electoral politics stand poised for a major shift, with Trinamool Congress founder and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee facing the prospect of going unrepresented in the high-profile Nandigram Assembly seat when the by-election is held on October 6.
Sanchita Dey Pradhan, the candidate nominated from the Mamata-led Trinamool faction for Nandigram, withdrew her nomination after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. With the last date for nomination over, Mamata had no option but to announce support for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan. Soon after, reports emerged of his arrest in an old case. The Congress blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the development, which the ruling party promptly denied.
With the model code of conduct in place, the state election commission acquires administrative control. BJP leaders pointed out that it can direct police to execute all non-bailable warrants issued earlier. Subsequent developments, following the Election Commission of India (ECI) decision earlier in the day to allot new names and symbols to two rival factions in the Trinamool Congress, one led by Mamata and the other by expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, escalated the war of attrition.
The two factions of the Trinamool Congress, which ruled West Bengal for 15 uninterrupted years under Mamata Banerjee, were set to contest the upcoming by-elections at Nandigram in East Midnapore district and also Rejinagar in Murshidabad. The “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” with “Football Player” as its symbol, and the “Democratic Trinamool Congress” with “Envelope” as its symbol, were in the fray alongside other political parties.
The importance of the original name and symbol of the twin florets was reflected in the words of a leader owing allegiance to Mamata Banerjee, who said she had expressed intent to join her candidates on the campaign trail if the Election Commission officially granted them.
“If not, Didi said she will ‘think about it’,” he said, referring to Mamata’s remarks ahead of the poll body’s interim decision late on Thursday.
For “rebel” Ritabrata Banerjee, the decision came as he rose from “yet another political leader” to being the principal disruptive face against Mamata Banerjee, long regarded as West Bengal’s greatest political disruptor. His camp was reportedly content that the original name and symbol were not awarded to Mamata, which would have given her additional strength in the upcoming by-election.
Meanwhile, rebel Trinamool Lok Sabha MPs who chose to join the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) but have yet to be granted official recognition by the Speaker face a longer wait to navigate their path ahead. The BJP has ruled out admitting any more Trinamool leaders into its fold. However, the rebel MPs have chosen to support the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Now, all “rebels”, about 60 MLAs, 20 MPs, other leaders, workers, and supporters, await the final decision of the Election Commission. For recognition of political parties in an election, the poll body stipulates that a reserved symbol is “for a recognised political party for exclusive allotment to contesting candidates set up by that party,” while a free symbol is any “other than a reserved symbol.” With the two factions battling over ownership, allotment of the twin florets will be announced once “the real Trinamool” is established, deciding who gains access to party funds and other assets.
In the meantime, neither faction can use the name “All India Trinamool Congress” or the twin florets symbol, both of which depict grassroots. Since the Trinamool Congress came into being on New Year’s Day in 1998, its meteoric rise, spearheaded by Mamata Banerjee, culminated in the fall of the state’s red bastion and turned her into a political cult figure.
Most leaders and workers, who swore by the Trinamool, however, had trouble with the “r.” Thus, in rallies and processions, slogans often went: “Who goes there… ‘Tinamool, Tinamool’?” or “Who’ll win… ‘Tinamool, Tinamool’.” Despite the distorting but harmless renaming, this slightly warped version echoed in debates and discussions at tea stalls and street corners. Yet the name and symbol stood for Mamata’s achievements, with followers revering her as benefactor and final authority.
Over time, however, that reverence was tested amid allegations of misconduct and misappropriation within the ranks, leading to the regime’s fall and subsequent erosion and division.
–IANS
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