Kolkata: TMC Loyal Faction Fields Candidates for WB, Assam Bypolls

Kolkata: The Trinamul Congress loyal faction, led by party supremo Mamata Banerjee, announced its candidates’ names on Sunday evening to contest the upcoming Assembly bypoll at two seats in West Bengal and a bypoll at a parliamentary seat in Assam on its party symbol amidst a battle with the rebel camp before the Election Commission over the stake on the identity.

TMC posted on X-handle, “All India Trinamool Congress, under the guidance and inspiration of our Hon’ble Chairperson Smt @MamataOfficial, is pleased to announce the candidates for the upcoming Nandigram & Rejinagar bye-elections.”

It added, “We wish Smt Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) and Shri Rabiul Alam Chowdhury the very best for this journey. May they carry forward the hopes and aspirations of the people with strength and determination.”

TMC also fielded Abdul Salam to fight the bypoll at Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam.

The party's move came hours after its Serampore MP Kalyan Banerjee, a follower of Ms Banerjee, asserted the bypoll contest on their party symbol since the Election Commission did not pass "any interim order” on Saturday after hearing the views of the two internal factions, rebels and loyals, in New Delhi over the stake on the symbol.

He posted on social media in the morning, “The Election Commission has not passed any interim order. The Election Commission has directed us to appear on 16th and 17th of this month.

Our candidate will therefore contest in by election with our party symbol i.e. two flowers with grassroot.”

On the other hand, the TMC rebel camp, headed by leader of the opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, is expected to field its candidates for the assembly bypoll on Monday, according to sources.

Meanwhile, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien has shot off a two-page letter to the EC, detailing the party's national working committee and its tenure of five years instead of three years.