NEW DELHI: Once the dominant political force in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is facing an unusual stretch of turbulence. Questions over the party’s identity, leadership and organisational cohesion have all surfaced in the space of just 72 hours.For years, Mamata and the TMC have been almost synonymous in Bengal politics. But the past three days have brought one jolt after another, leaving the party dealing with a frozen identity, a new name and symbol, a candidate walking away in Nandigram and another nearly doing the same in Rejinagar.
Day 1: EC freezes TMC name and symbol
The first shock came when the Election Commission froze the TMC’s familiar party name and its traditional ‘flowers-and-grass’ symbol amid the battle between Mamata Banerjee and the rival faction led by Arup Roy.The move was more than a technical setback for a party whose name and symbol have been central to its electoral identity for years.It also came after Mamata’s stinging defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly polls, leaving the party vulnerable to rebellion and splits in both the state assembly and Parliament.The rebel faction had sought to stake its claim over the TMC’s identity after 15 straight years of the party’s rule in Bengal.
Day 2: New name, new symbol, then Nandigram shock
The next day brought some clarity, but hardly any comfort for Didi.The Election Commission allotted the ‘footballer’ symbol to Mamata’s faction and the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’. The rival faction led by once-a-Didi-loyalist Arup Roy was given the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘envelope’ symbol.However, the drama for Didi went ahead to Nandigram seat.Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the TMC candidate in Nandigram, withdrew her nomination a day before the deadline after meeting Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP leader who had defeated Mamata in Nandigram.Dey, who had lost her job in connection with the teacher recruitment scam, met Adhikari along with her husband Satyajit before announcing her withdrawal. Her reasons were not immediately clear.The development left Mamata scrambling for a candidate in a constituency that is considered a Suvendu Adhikari bastion.Mamata then backed Congress candidate Milan Pradhan and described Congress as a “sister party”, a move that also brought the INDIA bloc back into the picture ahead of the October 6 bypolls.But the reprieve was short-lived.Hours later, Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with criminal cases linked to the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram, Purba Medinipur.The Mamata camp accused the BJP government of “acting in an authoritarian manner to crush dissent and win the bypoll by a huge margin”.BJP leader and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said such allegations were expected from a “party centred on one person, whose activists had carried out attacks on the then opposition BJP after the 2021 assembly polls”.
Day 3: Rejinagar brings another scare, then a breather
Just when the Nandigram episode seemed to have given Mamata enough to deal with, Rejinagar produced another surprise.Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the TMC candidate and former MLA, announced that he would withdraw from the bypoll, citing difficulties in motivating grassroots workers, police arrests and what he described as false cases against party workers. He also said familiarising voters with the new ‘footballer’ symbol in such a short time was proving difficult.“It is becoming difficult for me to motivate grassroots workers who have been facing regular harassment. Police have arrested many of our workers, slapping false cases. Also, it is an onerous task to familiarise the electorate with the new ‘footballer’ symbol in such a short time. In this given situation, I informed Mamata di last evening about my decision (not to contest)… Let’s see,” he said.But within about 1.5 hours, the withdrawal itself was withdrawn.“I will be contesting the bypoll. We are in Didi’s party and we cannot do anything outside her wishes. So, following Didi’s instructions, I am retaining my candidature,” Chowdhury said.He said Mamata had directed him not to quit. He later visited Beldanga police station and said the police had assured him and his workers of security.
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“I have been assured of security by the police after the supremo (Mamata) intervened. I have met officers of the Beldanga police station and they have also assured me and my cadre of security during campaigning,” he said.Chowdhury also made it clear that he was ready to campaign with whoever remained with him.“Even if only 10 workers stand by me, I will take them along and begin a door-to-door campaign,” he said.For Mamata, it offered a small breather after two days of turbulence.The troubling sequence unfolded over 72 hours, turning into an unsettling rollercoaster for Didi.
