Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 1 : West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Wednesday said a 10-member delegation of his faction will meet the Election Commission in New Delhi after the poll panel granted them an appointment to present their case amid the ongoing dispute over the Trinamool Congress' election symbol.
Speaking to the media, Banerjee said the delegation would place its position before the EC and discuss issues related to the party.
"After the special session on the 22nd, we apprised the Election Commission of the situation, sent all the relevant documents, and also sought an appointment. We are grateful to the Election Commission. I would like to express our thanks that the full bench of the EC has granted an appointment to our 10-member delegation for tomorrow. That is why we are going to Delhi," Banerjee said.
"We are going there to hold discussions, and only after those talks take place will we be able to say what transpired," he added.
The meeting assumes significance as the internal struggle within the TMC has widened, with rival factions staking competing claims over the party's organisational structure and political identity. The EC is expected to hear the faction's submissions regarding the dispute.
The internal crisis within the TMC intensified after 58 of the party's 80 MLAs broke ranks with the Mamata Banerjee-led leadership following the party's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. The rebel group later backed Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and announced a new 30-member National Working Committee (NWC).
The rival faction has since been engaged in a battle over control of the party organisation, legislative wing and political identity, with both camps staking claim to being the authentic Trinamool Congress.
Earlier this week, Banerjee had dismissed reports of a symbol dispute, asserting that his faction itself constitutes the Trinamool Congress.
"We are the Trinamool Congress. So, no question of claiming the party symbol arises," he had said, while also claiming that the majority of elected representatives in West Bengal were with his faction.