Assam TMC withdraws Nagaon bypoll candidate over EC freeze on party name, symbol

The Assam unit of the Trinamool Congress on September 18 withdrew its candidate from the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, protesting the Election Commission’s decision to temporarily freeze the party’s original name and election symbol.

The party had fielded educationist Abdul Salam for the October 6 by-election.

Assam TMC state convenor and MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed said the party supports the decision taken by its chairperson Mamata Banerjee and described the EC’s move as “unjust and undemocratic”.

“In protest against this, we have resolved not to contest this by-election in the Nagaon constituency,” Ahmed said in a statement.

The EC has temporarily frozen the use of the name All India Trinamool Congress and its ‘flowers and grass’ symbol for the bypolls, amid a factional dispute within the party.

On Friday, the poll panel allotted Banerjee’s faction the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the ‘Football Player’ symbol. The rival faction led by Arup Roy was allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the ‘Envelope’ symbol.

The arrangement is interim and will remain in force pending the EC’s final decision on the factional dispute.

Ahmed accused the poll panel of “strangling democracy” and said the party was protesting what he described as an “insult to the people of Assam”.

The withdrawal leaves the Nagaon bypoll with one less contender, with the election scheduled for October 6.

The bypoll was necessitated after former Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the party shortly before the Assam Assembly election to join the BJP. He subsequently won from the Dispur Assembly constituency and became an MLA.