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Assam TMC Withdraws Nagaon Bypoll Candidate Over EC Freeze
The Trinamool Congress had planned to contest an election in Nagaon, Assam.
Its candidate was educationist Abdul Salam.
The Election Commission temporarily stopped the party from using its usual name and symbol.
The commission said different names and symbols would be used by the two rival party groups.
The group led by Mamata Banerjee received a new name and the Football Player symbol.
The group led by Arup Roy received another name and the Envelope symbol.
Assam’s TMC leaders said this decision was unfair and undemocratic.
They withdrew from the election to protest the commission’s action.
The Assam unit of the Trinamool Congress withdrew its Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll candidate in protest against the Election Commission’s action.
Educationist Abdul Salam had been named as the party’s candidate for the October 6 election.
The EC froze the “All India Trinamool Congress” name and its “flowers and grass” symbol for the bypolls.
The Mamata Banerjee faction was allotted “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the “Football Player” symbol.
The rival Arup Roy faction received “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “Envelope” symbol under an interim arrangement.
- Who
- The Assam unit of the Trinamool Congress, led in the state by convenor Sherman Ali Ahmed, and the Election Commission; the party’s candidate was educationist Abdul Salam.
- What
- The Assam TMC withdrew its candidate from the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll after the EC froze the party’s original name and symbol.
- Where
- Nagaon constituency, Assam.
- When
- The announcement was made on Friday, September 18; the bypoll is scheduled for October 6.
- Why
- The party said it was protesting the EC’s interim freezing of the “All India Trinamool Congress” name and “flowers and grass” symbol.
Assam TMC’s Position
Election Commission’s Action
Freezing the party identity
Assam TMC’s Position
The Assam TMC called the decision unjust, undemocratic, and an attack on democracy, and withdrew from the Nagaon bypoll in protest.
Election Commission’s Action
The EC froze the original party name and symbol for the bypolls and assigned different names and symbols to the rival factions.
Interim electoral symbols
Assam TMC’s Position
The Mamata Banerjee faction supported its chairperson and objected to contesting under a replacement name and symbol.
Election Commission’s Action
The EC allotted the Mamata Banerjee faction the “Football Player” symbol and the Arup Roy faction the “Envelope” symbol pending a final decision.
Key facts
- Election
- Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll
- Bypoll date
- October 6
- Withdrawn candidate
- Educationist Abdul Salam
- Original party name
- All India Trinamool Congress
- Original symbol
- Flowers and grass
- Mamata Banerjee faction
- Mamata All India Trinamool Congress; Football Player symbol
- Arup Roy faction
- Democratic Trinamool Congress; Envelope symbol
- Status of arrangement
- Interim, pending the EC’s final decision on the factional dispute
Quotes
Sherman Ali Ahmed
Assam Trinamool Congress state convenor and MLA
“In protest against this, we have resolved not to contest this by-election in the Nagaon constituency. We strongly condemn the Election Commission for strangling democracy and express our deepest indignation at this insult to the people of Assam.”
theprint.in
m.rediff.com
“We wholeheartedly support the decision taken by our Chairperson, Mamata Banerjee. We are deeply shocked by the unjust and undemocratic move to temporarily freeze our party’s name and election symbol for the Nagaon by-election.”
theprint.in
m.rediff.com
Sources
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