Kolkata, September 9 (Daily Kiran) : The Election Commission of India has scheduled meetings with two factions of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on September 12 in Kolkata. The commission will first meet with a five-member delegation led by rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee at 11 AM, followed by a discussion with the faction led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at noon.
Both meetings will take place at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management in New Delhi. While the agenda for the discussions has not been explicitly stated in the commission’s communication, sources indicate that the focus will be on the claims regarding the party’s name and election symbol.
Ashwini Kumar Mohal, the Election Commission’s secretary, has requested details about the members of both delegations and their vehicles to ensure proper arrangements. The commission plans to make a decision regarding the party name and symbol after hearing arguments from both sides.
The letter sent to Ritabrata Banerjee’s faction specifies that the delegation should consist of no more than five members. This communication follows an earlier request from Banerjee’s group for a meeting.
Sources suggest that a final decision will be made before September 16, as that is the deadline for filing nominations for the upcoming by-elections in the Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly constituencies.
Political analysts believe the Election Commission faces two options: it may grant the official TMC election symbol to one of the factions, allowing that group to contest the by-elections, or it may withhold the symbol from both factions until a final decision is reached.
The outcomes of the September 12 meeting and the subsequent ruling by the Election Commission are expected to significantly influence the ongoing dispute over the TMC’s name and symbol.
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