New Delhi: Before the by-elections to be held in West Bengal on October 6, former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party TMC has suffered a major setback. According to recently revealed information, after Nandigram, now TMC candidate from Rejinagar seat, Rabiul Alam Chaudhary has decided to withdraw his nomination from the by-election.
Earlier on Friday, Trinamool Congress candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey had withdrawn her nomination from Nandigram by-election. There was about a month left for the by-election. A few hours before the withdrawal of nominations, he reached the State Secretariat Nabanna and met Chief Minister and sitting Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari.
what secret conversation took place
Sources had initially described this meeting as a courtesy call. But speculations regarding this meeting intensified in political circles. It was being claimed that Sanchita Pradhan Dey secretly talked to Suvendu Adhikari. Interestingly, the meeting took place at the same time when the Election Commission had allotted the 'football player' symbol to the Mamata Banerjee camp and the 'envelope' symbol to the rival faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee for the upcoming Rejinagar and Nandigram by-elections.
After withdrawal of nomination, Mamata Banerjee had targeted BJP and termed it as 'Jumla Party'. He had also announced that his camp would support the Congress candidate and stand with the INDIA block.
New challenge arises for TMC
But political developments changed rapidly. Just an hour after Mamata Banerjee announced her support to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, he was arrested in an old case. According to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, the case is related to three murder cases, one of which dates back to 2007. These developments of withdrawal of nominations of candidates from Nandigram and now Rejinagar have created new challenges for the Trinamool Congress ahead of the by-elections.