Kolkata: High drama continued ahead of the upcoming bypoll of the Rejinagar Assembly constituency in West Bengal’s minority-dominated Murshidabad district, with Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the candidate of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress, withdrawing his earlier decision to pull out of the contest.
Earlier in the day, Chowdhury had told reporters that he intended to withdraw his nomination, citing reluctance among party workers to campaign under the new symbol allotted to the faction by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and what he described as administrative pressure. He had also claimed that the decision was taken after discussions with Mamata Banerjee.
However, within hours, the political situation took a dramatic turn when Chowdhury announced that he would remain in the fray following appeals from the party leadership, including Mamata Banerjee.
Reacting to the development, Abu Taher Khan, Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP from Murshidabad, criticised the decision to field a candidate in Rejinagar. “She had always been misled by some people. She had been misled this time as well,” Khan said, referring to Mamata Banerjee.
Polling for the Rejinagar bypoll, along with the Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district, is scheduled for October 6, with counting of votes October 9.
The developments come a day after Sanchita Dey Pradhan, the candidate of the Mamata-led faction in the Nandigram bypoll, withdrew her nomination following a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Subsequently, Mamata Banerjee announced support for the Congress candidate in Nandigram.
The Rejinagar bypoll became necessary after AJUP leader Humayun Kabir, who won both the Rejinagar and Naoda Assembly seats in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, chose to retain the latter. His son, Golam Nabi Azad, is contesting the bypoll as the AJUP candidate.
Earlier, Friday, the Election Commission of India allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the symbol “Football Player” to the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. The rival faction headed by Ritabrata Banerjee was allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the symbol “Envelope”. Earlier, the poll panel had frozen the original party name “All India Trinamool Congress” and its traditional symbol “Flowers & Grass”.
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