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Cong seeks rejection of rival TMC nominations in Nandigram amid unresolved symbol row
Kolkata, Sep 17 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday demanded rejection of the nomination papers of both rival TMC candidates in West Bengal’s Nandigram, contending that neither could produce the party’s twin-flowers-on-grass symbol and that both had only one proposer, amid the EC’s indecision over which faction is entitled to represent the Trinamool Congress.
The demand came on the first day of scrutiny of nominations for the October 6 bypoll, with the rival factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee continuing their battle over the party’s name, organisational control and election symbol.
The Election Commission (EC) had called representatives of both factions for another hearing in New Delhi on Thursday.
“We have demanded that the nominations of both TMC candidates be rejected as they could not submit the party symbol. They should not be allowed to contest the election,” Congress spokesperson Ajitesh Pandey said.
“For an independent candidate, at least 10 proposers are required. In the case of these two TMC candidates, there is only one proposer each. Therefore, neither can contest. The rest is for the returning officer to decide. If their nominations are not rejected, we will take legal action,” he said.
The Congress intervention has added a fresh procedural layer to an already unusual electoral contest in which two candidates have claimed the same party identity even as the poll panel considers which faction is entitled to the All India Trinamool Congress name and its traditional symbol.
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has fielded Sanchita Pradhan Dey from Nandigram, while the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction has nominated Mohammad Eteshamul Haque. Both sides filed their nominations on Wednesday, the last day for filing papers, while asserting their respective claims to the TMC identity.
The symbol dispute had already moved to the centre of the bypoll preparations. The EC has held several rounds of discussions with the two camps since the dispute over the party’s name, symbol and organisational control came before it in July, and sought additional documents from both sides before the nomination deadline.
The timing makes Thursday’s scrutiny particularly significant. The returning officer has to deal with nominations filed in the name of rival factions at a time when the authority to use the party’s established identity remains under consideration by the poll panel.
Nandigram, meanwhile, carries significance well beyond the arithmetic of a single Assembly seat.
The constituency was at the heart of the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement that helped propel the TMC towards power and contributed to the end of the Left Front’s 34-year rule in West Bengal.
It also has a direct connection with the political rivalry between Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari. Banerjee contested Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly election and lost to Adhikari, her former protege who had switched sides to the BJP.
Adhikari won Nandigram again in the 2026 Assembly polls but subsequently retained Bhabanipur in south Kolkata and vacated Nandigram, necessitating the bypoll.
The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, mother of Adhikari’s slain aide Chandranath Rath. On Thursday, Rath formally began her campaign with a meeting at the BJP’s Rayapara office.
The Congress, which has also fielded a candidate in Nandigram, has now sought to turn the nomination process itself into an issue, questioning whether the two rival TMC candidates can legally remain in the contest in the absence of a settled party symbol and the required number of proposers.
The rival TMC camps have also fielded candidates in Rejinagar, making the EC’s decision relevant to both constituencies. The Ritabrata faction has nominated Safiuzzaman Sheikh, while the Mamata camp has fielded Rabiul Alam Chowdhury.
The Rejinagar nomination process too reflected the broader political churn.
TMC MP Abu Taher, who has switched to the NCPI along with 19 other MPs and extended support to the BJP-led NDA, attended the nomination rally of Sheikh. He later told PTI that he had gone because Sheikh was a family member and had served as his election agent.
The rival factions’ decision to nominate candidates before the EC’s final determination has effectively transformed their organisational dispute into an electoral one.
The poll panel’s ruling on the party name and symbol will consequently have a direct bearing on how the two camps are represented in the bypolls.
Reports have indicated that an interim arrangement could be considered if the dispute remains unresolved, including separate identities or symbols for the rival groups.
Polling for Nandigram and Rejinagar is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9. PTI PNT MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.