It’s the season of political setbacks for Mamata Banerjee. A day after her candidate for Nandigram withdrew from the bypoll battle, her party’s candidate for Rejinagar by-election has done the same.
Mamata Banerjee’s party candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury left the battlefield on Saturday.
Chowdhury blamed harassment of party workers by the state administration for his decision.
“At this moment, the party lacks an official symbol. Party workers are being harassed in various ways, and most of them have left the area for work. With whom am I supposed to contest the election? Given the pressure being exerted by the administration, the workers say they cannot remain in the electoral fray. That is precisely why I have decided to withdraw my nomination,” he told mediapersons.
Both Nandigram and Rejinagar are set to vote on October 6 in the by-elections. And Mamata Banerjee has now lost candidates in both the seats.
Read | Contest To Chaos: Rebels And Rivals Script Twists In Nandigram Bypoll Battle
Earlier on Friday, Nandigram candidate from Mamata Banerjee’s faction Sanchita Pradhan Dey had withdrew her nomination after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Sanchita Pradhan walked out of Nandigram contest on Friday
After her own candidate backed out of the Nandigram bypoll, Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced support to the Congress nominee. But eventhat surprise move was checkmated as the Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested on Fiiday evening in a 2007 murder case.
Mamata Banerjee had suffered another major blow on Thursday when the Election Commission announced it was freezing the Trinamool name and symbol; thus, neither the Mamata Banerjee faction nor Ritabrata Banerjee’s group could use them for the bypolls.
Read | Mamata Banerjee Drew Her Party’s Symbol By Hand. It’s Now Tied To An Indira Gandhi Case
The Election Commission later allotted new names and symbols for both the factions in the interim. Mamata Banerjee’s faction is now called Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and has been given a “Football Player” as the symbol. The group led by Arup Roy and Ritabrata Banerjee has been allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “Envelope” symbol.
Mamata Banerjee has gone to the Supreme Court against the Election Commission’s decision to temporarily freeze the name and symbol of the Trinamool Congress amid contesting claims from the rival groups.
