After Mamata Banerjee's Nandigram nominee Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew from the upcoming bypoll, the former West Bengal chief chief minister said her camp will back the Congress candidate.
Mamata recalled that Rahul Gandhi called on Thursday while Arvind Kejriwal also expressed solidarity. “We will all fight together against BJP. We will support Congress in Nandigram bypoll to strengthen INDIA bloc,” she said.
She added that a decision on Rejinagar would be taken later. Both bypolls are scheduled for October 6 and the votes will be counted on October 9.
“We don't disrespect the chair, but it is a black day for democracy. Everything done to satisfy a party's ego. The BJP is trying to destroy opposition parties. They have won for the time being,” she said, while addressing media persons in Kolkata.
She alleged that the BJP first broke Uddhav Thackeray's party and later the NCP in Maharashtra. "Now, they are after us," she said.
Calling the Election Commission's decision to freeze her party symbol "arbitrary", she said, “How can EC freeze my party's symbol that has been with us for 28 years? We are neither going to bow our heads, nor will we surrender. We will fight and bounce back,” she added.
She alleged that TMC rebels are the A-team of BJP, adding that those elected on TMC symbol are now challenging it.
The ECI on Friday said the Mamata faction will fight future elections under the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress while the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee will contest under the name of Democratic Trinamool Congress. While the existing party name and the traditional 'Jora Ghash Phul' (twin flowers and grass) symbol were frozen, Mamata's party was allotted the 'football player' symbol and the rebel faction was given the symbol of 'envelope'.
With inputs from Prema Rajaram
