Rahul Gandhi criticized the Election Commission and the BJP after the poll panel barred both factions of the TMC from using the party's name and symbol in upcoming West Bengal bypolls.
Reader brief
Through the Reader lens: The Election Commission of India issued an interim order barring both factions of the Trinamool Congress from using the party name and "flowers and grass" symbol for the upcoming West Bengal assembly bypolls. This decision follows a leadership dispute and claimed split between factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party of cooperating to split opposition parties and weaken democracy. Conversely, West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh claimed the TMC is collapsing due to its own internal infighting.
What to watch next
- The final decision by the Election Commission on which faction constitutes the real Trinamool Congress.
- The performance of the rival Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy factions in the upcoming West Bengal bypolls under new names and symbols.
What was said4
Attributed, verbatim. Every quote is checked against the article it came from. One that does not match is not shown.
Rahul Gandhi
2 quotes“First Shiv Sena, then NCP, and now Trinamool Congress. Every time, the same pattern—BJP and the Election Commission join forces to split a party. Then its election symbol is snatched away. When an entire party can be stolen, it's hardly surprising that the votes of millions of Indians can be stolen too. Vote theft. Government theft. Now party theft—these have become symbols of our democratic decline”
In the article
…Rahul Gandhi calls out BJP-ECI 'pattern' Gandhi alleged that the BJP and the ECI had followed a similar pattern in disputes involving Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and now the Trinamool Congress. " First Shiv Sena, then NCP, and now Trinamool Congress. Every time, the same pattern—BJP and the Election Commission join forces to split a party. Then its election symbol is snatched away. When an entire party can be stolen, it's hardly surprising that the votes of millions of Indians can be stolen too. Vote theft. Government theft. Now party theft—these have become symbols of our democratic decline ," he said in a post on X. The Congress leader further alleged that the ECI was failing to fulfil its constitutional responsibility to protect voters and was instead helping the BJP overturn election results. "The ECI's…
“Vote theft. Government theft. Now party theft—these have become symbols of our democratic decline. The ECI's constitutional responsibility is to protect the mandate—but instead, it's aiding those very forces that overturn the people's verdict”
In the article
…hardly surprising that the votes of millions of Indians can be stolen too," he added.Rahul also said that "vote chori, sarkaar chori and now party chori have become the symbols of democratic decline" in the country." Vote theft. Government theft. Now party theft—these have become symbols of our democratic decline. The ECI's constitutional responsibility is to protect the mandate—but instead, it's aiding those very forces that overturn the people's verdict ," the Congress leader said."This fight isn't just Mamata Banerjee's. It's the fight of every political party, every voter who wants free and fair elections," he added. Rahul's remarks came after the poll panel, in its…
Arvind Kejriwal
1 quote“Modi ji's birthday gift to the country. Will they win the election this way?”
In the article
…who wants free and fair elections," he said. Kejriwal questions EC order Kejriwal also reacted to the ECI's decision ahead of the October 6 bypolls in West Bengal's Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly constituencies. " Modi ji's birthday gift to the country. Will they win the election this way? " Kejriwal posted on X. His remarks came amid the ongoing dispute between the two Trinamool Congress factions, both of which have fielded candidates for the upcoming bypolls while staking claim to the party's…
Dilip Ghosh
1 quote“The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is disintegrating due to internal infighting. The public has rejected them. Their MPs are in other parties, and Mamata Banerjee stands alone.”
In the article
…on precedents, would place them on an "even keel".Meanwhile, West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh claimed that TMC is crumbling under the weight of severe internal strife following the Election Commission's interim order." The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is disintegrating due to internal infighting. The public has rejected them. Their MPs are in other parties, and Mamata Banerjee stands alone. They hold no documents regarding this; the Election Commission will make the decision," he said. The poll panel has been hearing competing claims from the two factions over control of the party, its name and election…
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Sources3
- [1]The Times of Indianeutral'Football player' vs 'envelope': EC allots new names and symbols to TMC factions
- [2]Hindustan Timescritical'Vote theft, govt theft, now party theft': Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal slam EC over TMC symbol freeze
- [3]The Times of Indiacritical'BJP and EC join forces': Rahul Gandhi slams EC over TMC name, symbol freeze