‘The football will get deflated’: Himanta takes swipe at Mamata after new poll symbol

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on September 19 took a swipe at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after the Election Commission froze the Trinamool Congress name and symbol amid a factional dispute and allotted her faction the ‘Football Player’ symbol.

“The football will get deflated,” Sarma said while speaking to reporters during his visit to Madhupur in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district.

The Election Commission on September 18 allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, while the rival faction led by Arup Roy was allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress, ahead of the October 6 bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal.

Sarma claimed that Banerjee would not return to power in the state and said she would have to watch development works being carried out under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

“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,” Sarma said.

The Assam chief minister was also asked about the arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in Nandigram in connection with four pending arrest warrants dating back to the 2007 anti-land acquisition agitation.

Banerjee had extended her faction’s support to the Congress candidate after her own nominee, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew from the contest.

Defending the arrest, Sarma said it was the responsibility of the police to act on pending warrants.

He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks describing Pradhan’s arrest as “targeting the opposition” and “murder of democracy”.

Sarma claimed that Gandhi had allowed a person facing murder cases to participate in the electoral process. He said reports indicated that two or three murder cases had been registered against Pradhan in 2007 and argued that the police were required to act when such matters came to light.

Meanwhile, in the Rejinagar Assembly constituency, Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the candidate of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, initially announced his withdrawal from the bypoll, citing pressure on party workers and difficulties in contesting under the newly allotted electoral symbol.

He reversed the decision within hours after speaking to Banerjee.

The developments come ahead of the October 6 bypolls, with the Election Commission’s decision on the party name and symbol adding a new dimension to the contest.