ECI gives Ritabrata faction of Trinamool another extension till July 25 to file response
The Ritabrata Banerjee faction of the Trinamool Congress has been given yet another extension by the Election Commission, this time till July 25, for submitting
The Ritabrata Banerjee faction of the Trinamool Congress has been given yet another extension by the Election Commission, this time till July 25, for submitting their response to notices issued by the poll body regarding claims made by them on organisational elections and authorised signatories of the party. The ECI had on July 2 written to both factions of the Trinamool, led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Uluberia Purba MLA Mr. Ritabrata, seeking responses regarding “claims and counterclaims” made by them. The factions were asked to submit their response by 5:30 p.m. on July 6. While the Ms. Mamata-led group of the Trinamool submitted its response rejecting the rival group’s claim over the party on July 6 itself, the team led by Mr. Ritabrata sent a legal representative to the Commission seeking more time.
ECI sources told The Hindu that they were given an extension till July 10, which was subsequently extended till July 25 following yet another representation from them seeking more time. Earlier this month, a full Bench of the poll body met the rebel faction of the party led by Ms. Ritabrata. Mamata’s side had, however, questioned the ECI’s decision to grant an audience to the rebel faction, alleging that the meeting violated the poll body’s own procedures of granting appointments only to authorised signatories of a recognised political party. In their response submitted to the ECI, the Ms. Mamata-led group rejected the rival group’s claim over the party, underlining that the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Mr. Ritabrata, who is leading the other faction, was not even a member of the party committee at the time of the last round of organisational elections in 2022.
Mamata’s supporters asserted that the Trinamool’s organisational committees remain valid till 2027 under the party constitution. They have also questioned the additional time given by the ECI to Mr. Ritabrata’s faction to file their response. “We responded to the Election Commission within the laid down deadline of three days. On the other hand, it has been 23 days, in which EC has already granted two extensions to the new Traitor Party and
yet they have not been able to furnish a reply. EC should not brazenly work like a branch office of the BJP,” Derek O’Brien, Trinamool national joint secretary and Rajya Sabha leader said. “Why has this additional time and special treatment been given to the other side after they failed to meet the original deadline, while we complied within time?” Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra asked at a press conference on July 13.
The BriefWire