Assam TMC Withdraws from Nagaon Bypoll Over Frozen Name and Symbol
Assam TMC will not contest the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, protesting the Election Commission's decision to freeze its name and symbol for the October 6 vote.
The Assam unit of the Trinamool Congress has decided against contesting the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election, in protest against the Election Commission's move to freeze the party's original name and its 'flowers and grass' symbol for the October 6 polls.
The party had earlier named educationist Abdul Salam as its candidate for the constituency.
Announcing the withdrawal, the party's state convenor Sherman Ali Ahmed, who is also an MLA, said the decision had the full backing of party chairperson Mamata Banerjee. He described the freezing of the party's name and election symbol for the Nagaon by-election as an unjust and undemocratic step.
"In protest against this, we have resolved not to contest this by-election in the Nagaon constituency," Ahmed said in a statement, adding that the party strongly condemned the poll panel's action and expressed its indignation at what it called an insult to the people of Assam.
The Election Commission's freeze on the 'All India Trinamool Congress' name and its 'flowers and grass' symbol applies to the by-elections scheduled on October 6 across Assam and other states.
On Friday, the poll panel allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" along with the 'Football Player' symbol. The rival group headed by Arup Roy was given the name "Democratic Trinamool Congress" and the 'Envelope' symbol for the bypolls. The arrangement is interim and will hold until the Commission delivers its final ruling on the factional dispute.
The Nagaon bypoll was necessitated after former Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from his party days before the Assam assembly election and joined the BJP. He went on to win from the Dispur assembly constituency and became an MLA.