Election Commission Invites Rival TMC Factions for Talks in New Delhi
· India · Indian Express, The Hindu
The Election Commission invited Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee and rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee to separate meetings in New Delhi on Saturday. The discussions will take place at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management in Dwarka, where each leader is asked to attend with a five-member delegation. The move comes two days after the poll body announced by-polls for five Assembly constituencies, including Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal, scheduled for October 6. The factional dispute centers on control of the party name and symbol, which is expected to flare up as candidates prepare for the upcoming polls. The internal rift emerged after the TMC lost the West Bengal Assembly elections in May, with Ritabrata's faction claiming support from two-thirds of the party legislators.
Why it matters
The EC's intervention sets the stage for a crucial legal and political showdown over control of the TMC party apparatus ahead of high-stakes Assembly by-polls in West Bengal.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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