Mamata Faction's Rejinagar Candidate Withdraws, Second Bypoll Setback in Two Days
Rabiul Alam Chowdhury withdrew from the Rejinagar bypoll, citing harassment of party workers, a day after the Nandigram candidate quit.
The party led by Mamata Banerjee has lost a second candidate in as many days, with its nominee for the Rejinagar by-election withdrawing from the contest on Saturday.
Rabiul Alam Chowdhury announced his decision to pull out, pointing to what he described as sustained harassment of party workers by the state administration. Speaking to reporters, he said the party currently has no official symbol and that workers are being pressured in multiple ways, with many having left the area in search of work.
"With whom am I supposed to contest the election?" Chowdhury said, adding that workers had told him they could not stay in the fray given the pressure from the administration. He said this was the reason he had decided to withdraw his nomination.
The development comes a day after the party's Nandigram candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew her nomination following a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Both Rejinagar and Nandigram are scheduled to vote on October 6. With the two withdrawals, the party has now lost candidates in both constituencies.
After the Nandigram nominee backed out, Mamata Banerjee announced support for the Congress candidate there. That move was undercut the same evening when the Congress nominee, Milan Pradhan, was arrested in connection with a 2007 murder case.