KOLKATA: The majority faction of the Trinamool Congress' Legislative Party in the West Bengal Assembly, headed by the expelled party member Ritabrata Banerjee, on Thursday contended before the full bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI) that their numerical superiority establishes their entitlement to the party's name and election symbol.
A ten-member delegation of the rebel legislators met the full bench of the ECI in the afternoon, and at the end of the meeting, Ritabrata Banerjee told media persons that there was no question of separately placing the demand for the right over the name and election symbol of the party.
“More than two-thirds of the party MLAs in West Bengal are with us. Most of the former ministers in the previous Trinamool Congress cabinet in West Bengal are on our side. The majority of councillors of different municipal corporations and municipalities are with us. The majority of Zilla Parishad members in different districts are with us. So, what is our need to raise the demand separately for the right over the party name and election symbol?” Ritabrata told media persons at the end of the meeting with the ECI’s full bench.
He also said that on June 22, a special convention of party delegates was organised, nominating veteran party legislator Arup Roy as the new chairperson of the party, replacing the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.
“Akhruzzaman, another legislator, was made the new party treasurer. We informed the Commission about that convention the very next day. Today, the full bench of the Commission gave us time, who represent the All India Trinamool Congress. We met and conveyed our views,” said Ritabrata. (IANS)
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