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‘Come to Assembly, Didi’ : TMC Rebel Makes Surprise Offer to Mamata
Kolkata : In a dramatic political twist ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly bypolls, TMC rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee has made a stunning offer, saying his faction will withdraw its candidate if Mamata Banerjee decides to contest the election even as an independent. The statement has added a fresh and unexpected dimension to the ongoing political battle in Bengal, where the rebel faction and the Trinamool Congress are already locked in a dispute over the party’s name and election symbol.
Ritabrata said his group has almost finalised its candidate for the bypoll, but would step aside if Mamata enters the electoral race, making it clear that their priority is to see her return to the state Assembly. “We want Dr Mamata Banerjee to come to the Assembly. It would be even better if she comes from Nandigram,” Ritabrata said, referring to the constituency from which Mamata lost the 2021 Assembly election.
The remark is particularly significant because Nandigram remains one of the most politically sensitive constituencies in Bengal and is closely associated with Mamata’s electoral battle against Suvendu Adhikari. Ritabrata’s announcement comes amid an ongoing organisational and electoral dispute between the Trinamool Congress and the rebel faction led by him, with the Election Commission hearing claims from both sides over the party’s identity and electoral symbol. Meanwhile, the Election Commission is also dealing with the electoral process for two Assembly bypoll seats in West Bengal, with the deadline for filing nominations set for September 16.
Ritabrata has claimed that Mamata had previously entered the Assembly through a by-election rather than winning a direct Assembly election and has expressed confidence that his faction could emerge victorious in the upcoming contest. His latest statement, however, has shifted the political spotlight from the candidate battle to the possibility of Mamata herself entering the fray, potentially creating an unusual contest in which a rival faction could voluntarily withdraw to make way for her.
With the nomination deadline approaching, Bengal’s political landscape is now witnessing a high-stakes countdown, and the final decision on whether Mamata Banerjee will contest could have major implications for the bypoll battle and the ongoing tussle over the political identity of the TMC and its breakaway faction.
