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Former Bengal CM and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee/File image
The Election Commission on Wednesday called both factions of the Trinamool Congress for separate meetings in New Delhi on September 12 amid their ongoing tussle over control of the party, its name, assets and election symbol.
The EC wrote to Ritabrata Banerjee, the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, granting an appointment to a five-member delegation at 11 am.
The poll panel also wrote to former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, offering her faction a meeting an hour later.
The meetings come ahead of the October 6 assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar, for which the nomination process began on Wednesday.
Ritabrata Banerjee leads a group of around 60 of the 80 newly elected TMC MLAs who broke ranks with Mamata Banerjee following the party's defeat to the BJP in the assembly polls held earlier this year.
The dissident faction had earlier approached the EC, staking claim to the party's name, financial assets and its 'Jora Ghash Phool' (twin flowers on grass) electoral symbol.
It said it will contest the upcoming bypolls using the TMC's name and symbol, while remaining prepared to fight as independents if the EC does not recognise its claim before the nomination process ends on September 16. -- PTI
