New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) : Congress MP Imran Masood, reacting to the Election Commission’s decision to freeze the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s name and election symbol on Friday, said that the EC has become a “toy”.
Speaking to IANS Masood said, “This is very dangerous for democracy. The Election Commission has become a toy and is being used like one. First Shiv Sena, then NCP, and now TMC. This means you will neither spare the parties nor the votes, you will steal the votes as well as the parties. It takes years to make an election symbol reach the people, and you will simply freeze the election symbol. A party is built through its organisation, not just through MPs and MLAs…”
Meanwhile, on the ECI’s interim order, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, “…This party was founded by Mamata Banerjee through her own strength, hard work and struggle, and she built the party. The Trinamool Congress has made a significant contribution to the politics of the state and the country. Just as the Shiv Sena belongs to Balasaheb Thackeray, the Trinamool Congress belongs to Mamata Banerjee, and the Nationalist Congress Party belongs to Sharad Pawar…”
The remarks came after the Election Commission ordered an interim freeze on the name and election symbol of the All India Trinamool Congress and directed the rival factions to choose new names and symbols until the dispute is settled.
The Commission’s decision has significant implications for the upcoming Assembly by-polls in West Bengal. The EC has announced by-polls in two constituencies, Nandigram and Rejinagar, to be held on October 6.
In its order, the EC said it had considered the material available before it and concluded that there were two rival groups within the All India Trinamool Congress, each claiming to represent the party.
“On due consideration of the totality of information available on record, the Commission is of the opinion that there are two rival groups in the All India Trinamool Congress, one led by Mamata Banerjee and the other led by Shri Arup Roy, and each group is now claiming to be the party and therefore the matter requires a substantive determination by the Commission under Para 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order 1968,” the EC order said.
