Kolkata, Sept. 18 -- TMC's twin camps will hit the bypoll campaign trail under new identities from Friday, after the Election Commission of India (ECI) stripped both factions of the party's name and iconic twin-flowers-and-grass symbol and allotted fresh names and symbols for the October 6 bypolls.
Mamata Banerjee's faction will contest as the "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" (MAITMC) with the "Football Player" symbol, while the rival Arup Roy-led camp has been named "Democratic Trinamool Congress" and allotted the "Envelope" symbol.
The interim arrangement follows the poll panel's decision to freeze the original TMC identity pending a final ruling on the rival claims over the party's organisational control.
The ECI stepped in to prevent a potentially unprecedented situation in the ensuing West Bengal bypolls on Oct 6. Thus, it allowed candidates backed by rival factions of the Trinamool Congress to remain in the contest despite the freezing of the party's name and election symbol on Thursday before a final decision was made.
The intervention came a day after the EC barred both factions from using the name "All India Trinamool Congress" and its reserved "Flowers & Grass" symbol pending adjudication.
The faction led by Mamata Banerjee was allotted the name "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" and the "Football Player" symbol.
EC allotted "Democratic Trinamool Congress" and the "Envelope" symbol to the faction led by Arup Roy.
Both were to be treated as recognised political parties in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura, the ECI missive said.
The decision has direct consequences for the Rejinagar and Nandigram Assembly bypolls in Bengal and the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam. In both Bengal constituencies, two candidates had submitted nominations claiming to represent the TMC.
The ECI noted that without its intervention, returning officers could have been compelled to reject both sets of nominations because the party name and symbol had been frozen.
EC officials said that it was done not to deprive electors of a "fair electoral competition" and prejudice the outcome of the polls.
Accordingly, Safiuzzaman Saikh in Rejinagar and Ehteshmul Haque in Nandigram, both authorised by Roy, will be treated as candidates of Democratic Trinamool Congress with the Envelope symbol. Rabiul Alam Chowdhury in Rejinagar will contest under Mamata All India Trinamool Congress with the Football Player symbol. With Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) withdrawing from Nandigram constituency, the Mamata faction announced that they would support the Congress candidate who was arrested after MAITMC pledged support.
In Assam's Nagaon, Abdul Salam, authorised by Banerjee, will contest under the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress with the Football Player symbol.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.