NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress‘ Assam unit has decided not to contest the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in protest against the Election Commission‘s decision to freeze the party’s name and election symbol, the state convenor said.The party had earlier announced Abdul Salam as its candidate for the by-election.“We wholeheartedly support the decision taken by our Chairperson, Mamata Banerjee. We are deeply shocked by the unjust and undemocratic move to temporarily freeze our party’s name and election symbol for the Nagaon by-election,” the party’s state convenor Sherman Ali Ahmed said in a statement.“In protest against this, we have resolved not to contest this by-election in the Nagaon constituency. We strongly condemn the Election Commission for strangling democracy and express our deepest indignation at this insult to the people of Assam,” Ali, also an MLA, added.The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after former Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi moved to the Assam Assembly. The by-election is scheduled for October 6, with the counting of votes set for October 9.
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The development comes after the Election Commission froze the use of the ‘All India Trinamool Congress’ name and the party’s ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol for the October 6 bypolls, including in Assam.On Friday, the poll panel allotted the Mamata Banerjee faction the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the ‘Football Player’ symbol, while 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 until the Commission takes a final decision on the factional dispute.Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, reacting to the decision, described it as a “black day” in the country’s democratic history and said her faction would challenge the order through political, democratic and legal means.The rival faction, meanwhile, said the new party name was intended to underline that the organisation does not belong to any individual.
