- Rabiul Alam Chowdhury initially withdrew from Rejinagar bypoll.
- He later reversed decision after Mamata Banerjee’s intervention.
- TMC symbol dispute and worker pressure fueled initial withdrawal.
- Nandigram also saw candidate withdrawal, followed by an arrest.
The political uncertainty surrounding West Bengal’s upcoming Assembly bypolls intensified on Saturday as Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the Rejinagar candidate backed by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, reversed his decision to withdraw from the contest and announced that he would remain in the race.
Chowdhury’s decision came only hours after he had publicly said he was stepping away from the Rejinagar election. His morning announcement had cited the dispute over the Trinamool Congress’ name and election symbol, along with alleged pressure on workers associated with the Mamata Banerjee faction.
The dramatic reversal comes a day after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the Mamata faction’s candidate in Nandigram, withdrew from that contest. Banerjee subsequently extended support to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in Nandigram. Pradhan was later arrested in connection with an old murder case linked to the 2007 anti-land acquisition agitation.
Morning Withdrawal
Chowdhury had announced his decision to withdraw from the Rejinagar race earlier on Saturday after speaking with Mamata Banerjee.
He pointed to the ongoing dispute over the TMC’s traditional name and symbol as one of the factors affecting his campaign. The Election Commission has barred the rival factions from using the original All India Trinamool Congress name and its traditional twin-flowers-on-grass symbol, assigning separate identities and symbols to the two groups.
The Mamata-led faction was allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and a new electoral symbol. Chowdhury had expressed concern about entering an election without the familiar party symbol that voters associate with the organisation.
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He also cited alleged pressure on party workers in Rejinagar and said several workers had left the area for employment.
Chowdhury Changes Course
The situation changed later in the day after Chowdhury held discussions with senior leaders of Banerjee’s faction, which now operates under the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress.
Following those talks, Chowdhury announced that he had reconsidered his earlier decision and would contest the Rejinagar bypoll after all.
He attributed the change directly to Banerjee’s intervention.
“I am reversing my decision to withdraw my candidature at Mamata Banerjee’s behest,” he explained.
He said he would contest the election since he reconsidered his decision after Mamata Banerjee spoke to him
The reversal means that the Mamata-aligned faction’s position in Rejinagar changed within a matter of hours, after Chowdhury had initially indicated that he would leave the contest.
Symbol Row At Centre
The election symbol dispute has emerged as a major issue for the Mamata faction ahead of the bypolls.
The Election Commission’s decision followed a dispute between rival groups over the TMC’s organisational identity. The Mamata-led faction was given the new name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, while the rival group led by Arup Roy was allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress. Both factions have been recognised as political parties in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura.
Chowdhury’s initial withdrawal highlighted the practical challenge of campaigning with a newly allotted symbol, particularly in a constituency where party workers and candidates have traditionally relied on the TMC’s established identity.
Nandigram Adds Turmoil
The Rejinagar reversal comes against the backdrop of an equally rapid sequence of developments in Nandigram.
Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been selected by Banerjee’s faction for the Nandigram bypoll, withdrew her nomination on Friday after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat. Banerjee later announced support for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan.
Pradhan was subsequently arrested in connection with a case dating back to the 2007 Nandigram land agitation. His arrest followed the announcement of Banerjee’s support and added another layer to the rapidly changing contest.
October 6 Bypolls
Both Nandigram and Rejinagar are scheduled to vote on October 6, with counting due on October 9. The two constituencies have witnessed significant changes in the candidate line-up in the days leading up to the election.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
