The Mamata All India Trinamool Congress has suffered another setback in the West Bengal Assembly by-elections, with its candidate from Rejininagar, Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, announcing his decision to withdraw his nomination.
Chowdhury announced the decision on Saturday, the final day for withdrawing nominations. With his withdrawal, the Mamata Trinamool will now have no candidate in either of the two Assembly by-elections in Nandigram and Rejininagar.
Candidate Cites New Symbol, Pressure on Workers
Explaining his decision, Rabiul Alam Chowdhury said that the party’s new election symbol was creating difficulties in establishing recognition among voters. He also cited pressure on party workers, saying they were not ready to enter the electoral contest.
Chowdhury said he had also discussed the matter with Mamata Banerjee before deciding to withdraw his nomination.
Nandigram Withdrawal Came First
The development comes a day after the Mamata Trinamool candidate in Nandigram, Sanchita Pradhan De, withdrew her nomination on Friday.
Following her withdrawal, Mamata Banerjee said that her party would support the Congress candidate in Nandigram. Regarding Rejininagar, Banerjee had indicated that a decision would be taken later.
Speculation over Chowdhury’s withdrawal had subsequently intensified, and he finally withdrew his nomination on Saturday.
Election Commission Changed Party Name and Symbol
The Election Commission has temporarily suspended the use of the Trinamool Congress name and its traditional ‘Grass Flower’ symbol. Following this, the faction is contesting under the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress with a ‘Footballer’ symbol.
Candidates in both Nandigram and Rejininagar cited difficulties associated with contesting under the new identity and symbol while withdrawing their nominations.
Symbol Issue Also Hits Humayun Kabir’s Son
Meanwhile, another symbol-related issue has emerged in Rejininagar.
Gholam Nabi Azad Rabin, son of Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir, wants to contest the election using his father’s old ‘Flute’ symbol.
However, the Election Commission has clarified that election symbols are not automatically reserved for candidates in a by-election, creating another hurdle for Rabin.
