Former West Bengal chief minister and TMC founder Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that her faction had decided not to contest the Nandigram bypolls and would support the Congress candidate in the October 6 elections.
Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction will back the Congress candidate in Nandigram. (File Photo/HT)
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The development marks a rare move, as the TMC and Congress have generally contested elections in West Bengal independently despite being part of the INDIA alliance at the national level. The two parties last contested the 2011 Assembly elections in Bengal as allies.
She announced that her faction would not nominate a candidate in Nandigram and would instead back Congress candidate Milan Pradhan. Banerjee said the move reflected the INDIA alliance's commitment to unity as Opposition parties seek to challenge the BJP together.
The announcement followed the withdrawal of Sanchita Pradhan Dey, a teacher chosen backed by Banerjee's faction of the Trinamool Congress to contest from Nandigram, from the contest earlier in the day.
Notably, Dey met West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat, Nabanna, on Friday afternoon. She was accompanied by her husband, Satyajit.
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During a press conference, Mamata said she also spoke to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (LoP) and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday.
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During a press conference, Mamata said she also spoke to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (LoP) and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday.
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"We will all fight together against the BJP," she said.
This came after the Election Commission's order barring the two rival TMC factions from using the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) name and its 'Jora Ghash Phul' (two flowers with grass) symbol in the upcoming bypolls, amid their dispute over the party's identity.
Referring to the political situation in Maharashtra, she said, "First they broke the party of Uddhav Thackeray and then the NCP. Now, they are after us."
Banerjee also claimed that Adhikari had previously said he would prevent the TMC from retaining its name and symbol.
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"We are not going to bow our heads, and neither will we surrender. We will fight and bounce back," Banerjee said.
Deep Dive
Why did Mamata Banerjee's TMC faction decide to support Congress instead of contesting the Nandigram bypolls?
Mamata Banerjee's TMC faction opted to support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram bypolls after the Election Commission barred both rival TMC factions from using the All India Trinamool Congress name and its symbol.
What led to the Election Commission's decision to freeze TMC's name and symbol?
The Election Commission's decision to freeze the TMC's name and symbol was due to the ongoing dispute between two rival factions within the party, both claiming leadership and identity.
How will temporary symbols be assigned to the rival TMC factions for the October 6 bypolls?
The Election Commission directed both rival TMC factions to submit three preferred names and three symbol choices from a notified list, which will be used in the upcoming bypolls while the leadership dispute is resolved.
Aryan Mudgal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly three years of experience. He is part of the digital news team at HT and enjoys covering day-to-day news and writing long, detailed explainers on key national and global affairs. He takes particular interest in reading and writing about Indian politics, crime, civic issues, as well as global affairs. He goes berserk when covering elections, especially Lok Sabha and assembly polls, and always looks out for fresh stories that could intrigue readers. At Hindustan Times, Aryan has covered various major events, including the Bihar assembly elections, Maharashtra civic polls, the US' military action in Venezuela, Union Budget, and Bangladesh elections. He has previously worked with the explainers team at Firstpost and the news desk at Times Network, covering a range of events including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Israel–Hamas war, Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh’s student protests and Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Delhi assembly elections, and more. He completed his bachelor’s degree in CEP (Communications & Media, English, and Psychology) from Christ University, Bengaluru, and later pursued a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He hails from Siliguri in West Bengal and enjoys reading about politics and day-to-day issues concerning the state. Outside of work, Aryan loves listening to music and enjoys rewatching his favourite comfort shows.
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Home/India News/Mamata's TMC faction opts out of Nandigram bypoll, to back Congress in rare move
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