We'll extend our support to Congress: Mamata

KOLKATA, Sept 18: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that her faction would support the Congress in the upcoming Nandigram Assembly bypoll and in Assam, hours after her party's candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew her nomination from the seat.

“We are extending our support to Congress in Nandigram and in Assam. We are doing this for the greater interest of the nation,” Banerjee said at a press conference.

The development came on the same day that the Election Commission assigned new names and symbols to the two rival factions of the Trinamool Congress. The Mamata Banerjee-led group was allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol, while the rival faction led by Arup Roy was given the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol. The original party name and its traditional symbol were frozen for the upcoming bypolls.

Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been named the Mamata faction's candidate for Nandigram earlier this month, withdrew her nomination on Friday. The withdrawal leaves the Mamata faction without a candidate in the constituency ahead of the October 6 bypoll.

Asked whether Pradhan withdrew because the party had decided to back Congress, Banerjee said that was not the reason.

“No, that is not the case. We had already decided to support the Congress because they have a good candidate,” she said.�" Z NEWS