Kolkata: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday mocked Mamata Banerjee after the Election Commission froze the Trinamool Congress’ name and its traditional “flowers and grass” symbol amid a dispute between rival factions, PTI reported.
“The football will get deflated,” Sarma said, referring to the “Football Player” symbol allotted to the Banerjee-led faction before the October 6 Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
The Election Commission on Friday assigned the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” to the faction headed by Banerjee, while the rival group led by Arup Roy was named “Democratic Trinamool Congress”.
Sarma, who was visiting Madhupur in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, said Banerjee would never regain power in the state. He claimed she would be left on the sidelines while Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari oversaw development work.
“The football will get deflated. Wait for two days; Mamata didi will be nowhere. Now, CM Adhikari will carry out development works, and Mamata will sit and watch how development is done,” he told reporters.
The Nandigram bypoll has been complicated by the arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan on the basis of four pending warrants issued 19 years ago. The warrants relate to serious offences allegedly committed during the 2007 protests against land acquisition in the region.
Banerjee had announced support for the Congress candidate after her faction’s nominee, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, pulled out of the race.
Sarma defended the arrest, saying the police were bound to act against a candidate facing criminal cases.
“What kind of a candidate will you call him? I have read in the newspapers that two or three murder cases were registered against him in 2007. When such matters come to light, the police will definitely have to arrest him as it is their duty,” he said.
His remarks came in response to Rahul Gandhi’s description of the arrest as “targeting the opposition” and a “murder of democracy”. Sarma alleged that Gandhi had permitted a murder accused to participate in the election process.
The Rejinagar contest also witnessed a dramatic development when Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the Banerjee faction’s candidate, announced that he was withdrawing from the election.
Chowdhury cited pressure on party workers and the difficulties of fighting the poll under the faction’s newly assigned name and symbol. However, after speaking to Banerjee, he changed his decision within hours and confirmed that he would contest the bypoll.
