Kolkata, September 18 (Daily Kiran) : Amid escalating factionalism within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Election Commission of India has assigned new names and symbols to various party factions. This decision has intensified political activity in West Bengal.
Ritabrata Banerjee, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, shared that the party discussed the matter collectively and sent a letter to the Election Commission on Friday morning. He outlined three primary preferences for the party’s name: Nationalist Trinamool Congress, West Bengal Trinamool Congress, and Democratic Trinamool Congress.
For the election symbol, the envelope was their top choice. The Election Commission’s letter clarified why the names Nationalist Trinamool Congress and West Bengal Trinamool Congress were not approved, leading to the selection of Democratic Trinamool Congress and the envelope as the symbol.
Banerjee also made a pointed remark regarding the election symbol, stating, “No, not football. I’ve heard someone is now playing football. You might recall the incident at Salt Lake Stadium, also known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, where there was a peculiar statue depicting a person kicking a football. That has been removed. Perhaps it had some impact. Maybe the person who suggested this election symbol was influenced by that.”
On the other hand, TMC MP Sougata Roy described the Election Commission’s order as temporary. He stated, “No response. This order is only temporary for two by-elections, so we do not accept it. I do not believe this is a permanent order.”
When questioned about TMC not contesting the Nandigram seat, Roy expressed frustration, saying, “This has already been announced; why are you asking me again? I don’t understand this. What kind of policy is this?”
Additionally, TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh criticized the BJP over the arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in the Nandigram by-election. He remarked, “Look, the police arrested Congress candidate Milan Pradhan. When was he arrested? It was when Mamata Banerjee announced support for Congress. This decision was made in panic. This is a fascist government. What are they doing? It’s a police state.”
The turmoil over names and symbols within the TMC, along with the arrest of a Congress candidate in Nandigram, has further heated the political climate in Bengal.
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