Kolkata, July 5 -- Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Derek O'Brien left for New Delhi on Sunday to submit the Mamata Banerjee-led faction's documents to the Election Commission of India, a day ahead of the deadline for filing replies in the dispute over the party's name, election symbol and organisational control.
The poll panel has directed both the Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee factions to submit their affidavits by 5.30 pm on July 6, following rival claims over which group constitutes the "real" Trinamool Congress and is entitled to the party's twin-flower symbol, bank accounts, authorised signatories and other organisational matters.
Sources said the Mamata camp has been engaged in consultations with legal experts while preparing its response. The affidavit is expected to set out the faction's organisational position, interpretation of the party constitution and legal grounds for claiming the party's official identity.
The Election Commission issued notices to both factions on Thursday, hours after a delegation led by Ritabrata Banerjee met the full bench of the poll panel in New Delhi and claimed that it represented the "real" Trinamool Congress. The rebel camp also asserted that it enjoyed the support of more than two-thirds of the party's elected representatives and sought recognition over the party's organisational structure.
The meeting drew strong objections from the Mamata Banerjee camp, with senior leaders questioning why the Election Commission had entertained leaders who had been expelled from the party.
The Commission is expected to examine the affidavits submitted by both camps before deciding the next course of action in the dispute.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.