Mamata Banerjee seeks district-wise reports on her party's local leaders, workers

Kolkata: Amid the forthcoming polls for seven urban civic bodies in West Bengal by the end of this year, former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has directed her party leaders to prepare detailed district-wise lists of local leaders and workers who are continuing with their allegiance towards the faction in Trinamool Congress headed by her and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

A party leader from the Mamata Banerjee faction of Trinamool said that based on the district-wise list, she will prepare a list of candidates for the forthcoming urban civic body polls.

“Once the district-wise lists are available, she will convene a meeting with the state leadership of her party and finalise the names for the urban civic body polls. The strategy for the polls will also be finalised in the meeting,” said the party leader.

He explained that preparing such district-level lists of leaders and party workers, still maintaining their allegiances towards her, is also necessary for submission to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to establish her faction’s right over the original party name of 'All India Trinamool Congress' and the original electoral symbol of 'Flowers and Grass'.

“We have also started the process of accepting affidavits from district-level leaders and workers in the matter. However, the state government, through police, is putting pressure on our district-level party leaders and workers to sign affidavits confirming their allegiance towards the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee,” the leader said.

Like the recently concluded bypolls for the Nandigram Assembly Constituency in East Midnapore district and the Rejinagar Assembly Constituency in Murshidabad district, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction in Trinamool Congress will have to contest the forthcoming polls for seven urban civic bodies with the newly allotted name of “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the newly allotted electoral symbol of “Football Player”.

Similarly, the Ritabrata-led rebel faction will have to contest with the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the electoral symbol of “Envelope”.

Polling for the seven urban civic bodies, including Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC), is likely to be held in the last week of November, and the results could be declared in the first week of December.

Although the Mamata Banerjee-led faction in Trinamool Congress was keen to contest the municipal body polls in alliance with Congress, the state unit of Congress has already ruled that out. On the other hand, the Ritabrata-led faction has made it clear that they would contest the municipal polls on their own, without any alliance.

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