New Delhi: The battle for control of the Trinamool Congress intensified on Thursday, with the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee staking a claim over the party before the Election Commission, even as the TMC criticised the poll panel for granting an audience to leaders expelled by it.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) asked rival factions of the TMC to submit their claims and counter-claims over authorised signatories and organisational polls of the party, a decision questioned by Mamata Banerjee’s loyalists Saugata Roy and Sagarika Ghose.
In letters sent to both Mamata Banerjee and rebel faction leader Ritabrata Banerjee, the two sides have been asked to submit their responses by 5.30 pm on July 6.
A delegation led by Ritabrata Banerjee met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners, a meeting the TMC said should not have taken place as only authorised signatories of a recognised political party could seek an appointment with the poll body.
“We are thankful that the full bench of the Election Commission gave us a patient hearing. We have made our points and are hopeful that the Election Commission will get back to us very shortly,” Ritabrata Banerjee told reporters after the meeting.
He said the faction had informed the commission in writing after holding a special organisational session in Kolkata on June 22 and had subsequently sought an appointment with the poll panel.
Without disclosing the documents submitted to the commission, Banerjee said the June 22 session was conducted by “abiding by all rules”. He expressed confidence that the Election Commission would examine the submissions and respond soon.
Reiterating the faction’s claim over the party, Banerjee said, “We are the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). More than two-thirds of the MLAs are with us. Corporators, municipal councillors and Zila Parishad members are with us.” Projecting the rebellion as an ideological movement, he said the fight was “against an individual cult” and “ruthless dynastic politics” that had eroded the grassroots character of Trinamool Congress.
“My whole fight is against an individual cult and the ruthless dynastic politics that have slowly taken away the essence of the grassroots party. All people who believe in the same ideas have formed a collective. People of Bengal do not support dynastic politics,” Banerjee said.
“Arup Roy and Javed Khan are founder members of the party. This is a collective thought,” he added.
Asked if the rebel faction was aligning with the BJP, Banerjee replied, “We are against the BJP.” The TMC, however, dismissed the meeting itself as contrary to the Election Commission’s own procedures.
Senior leaders Saugata Roy and Sagarika Ghose said the party had not sought any meeting with the commission and questioned the basis on which the rebel leaders were granted an audience.
“The Election Commission had informed all political parties that only authorised signatories can seek a meeting. The AITC did not ask for a meeting. On what basis did the Election Commission grant an appointment to a person expelled by the TMC?” Roy asked.
He alleged that the meeting was being held “at the behest of (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah,” claiming that the BJP was influencing the Election Commission.
Ghose said only authorised signatories could request a meeting with the commission’s full bench and alleged that the poll body had ignored its own rules.
“The AITC has not sent any letter. Yet a group led by a person expelled from the party has met the full bench. As per the Election Commission’s own rules, how did this happen? This is unprecedented and unconstitutional,” she alleged.
Drawing the distinction between a political party and its legislature party, Ghose cited the Supreme Court’s Shiv Sena judgment to argue that the legislative wing could neither merge nor split.
“What is this group that doesn’t have a single MP? It got an appointment with the full bench only because the BJP and Amit Shah are behind it,” she alleged.
The meeting marked the latest development in the organisational battle that erupted after Trinamool Congress’s defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections.
The rebel faction had last week submitted documents to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Kolkata and separately communicated with the Election Commission, claiming to represent the original Trinamool Congress.
It has staked a claim over the party’s name, twin-flower election symbol and organisational structure, contending that it enjoys the support of a majority of the party’s legislators and organisational functionaries.
