Rejinagar : There is no end to political drama in West Bengal. Hours after he announced withdrawal from the Rejinagar bypoll contest, Mamata Banerjee's candidate Rabiul Alam Chowdhury took a u-turn and said that he is staying in the fight.
Chowdhury had on Saturday morning announced that he was exiting the poll battle blaming harassment of party workers by the state administration for his decision.
"At this moment, the party lacks an official symbol. Party workers are being harassed in various ways, and most of them have left the area for work. With whom am I supposed to contest the election?
Given the pressure being exerted by the administration, the workers say they cannot remain in the electoral fray. That is precisely why I have decided to withdraw my nomination," he told mediapersons in the morning.
But by afternoon, came the u-turn. Chowdhury said that after meeting senior leaders of the Mamata Banerjee faction, now called Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC), he has decided to contest the by election.
He added that he changed his mind on Mamata Banerjee's insistence.
"I am reversing my decision to withdraw my candidature at Mamata Banerjee's behest. I will contest the election. I reconsidered my decision after Mamata Banerjee spoke to me," he said.
Both Nandigram and Rejinagar are set to vote on October 6 in the by-elections.
Earlier on Friday, Nandigram candidate from Mamata Banerjee's faction Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
After her own candidate backed out of the Nandigram bypoll, Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced support to the Congress nominee. But eventhat surprise move was checkmated as the Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested on Fiiday evening in a 2007 murder case.
Mamata Banerjee had suffered another major blow on Thursday when the Election Commission announced it was freezing the Trinamool name and symbol; thus, neither the Mamata Banerjee faction nor Ritabrata Banerjee's group could use them for the bypolls.
Read | Mamata Banerjee Drew Her Party's Symbol By Hand. It's Now Tied To An Indira Gandhi Case
The Election Commission later allotted new names and symbols for both the factions in the interim. Mamata Banerjee's faction is now called Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and has been given a "Football Player" as the symbol. The group led by Arup Roy and Ritabrata Banerjee has been allotted the name "Democratic Trinamool Congress" and the "Envelope" symbol.
Mamata Banerjee has gone to the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision to temporarily freeze the name and symbol of the Trinamool Congress amid contesting claims from the rival groups.
