Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien on Friday said that “much can happen” before the Election Commission’s October 30 hearing on rival claims to the party, accusing the faction led by Arup Roy of repeatedly seeking extensions in the proceedings.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee said his party would appear for the hearing and expressed confidence in its claim to the Trinamool Congress name and election symbol.
The Election Commission (EC) has called the rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) for the hearing on October 30.
O'Brien's remarks also come in the backdrop of protests demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
"We are still two weeks away from that meeting. The nation is enraged. Young and old are on the streets, protesting. Much can happen between now and then," O'Brien told PTI.
On the TMC dispute, he alleged that the rival group had repeatedly sought more time to respond to the EC, while the Mamata Banerjee-led party submitted its reply within the stipulated deadline.
"The traitors first wrote to the EC on June 22. The EC asked us and them to reply by July 6. We promptly did. They did not. After this, all that the traitors did was to keep seeking extensions of time. That was their only communication to the EC - requests for more time," he said.
"The EC, in their generosity, gave the traitors an extra 70 days! We have maintained all deadlines. The chronology of 14 dates exposes the hollow claims of the traitor group," he added.
Ritabrata Banerjee said they would appear before the poll panel and expressed confidence in their claim.
"This is the routine procedure, we will go for the hearing. We are very confident," he said.
The dispute over control of the TMC began on June 22, when Mamata Banerjee submitted to the Election Commission the list of office-bearers and National Working Committee members declared at the party's June 20 meeting.
The same day, the rebel group led by Ritabrata Banerjee, which had held a special session and appointed Arup Roy as its chairperson, also approached the poll panel.
The EC on July 2 sought responses from Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee by July 6, and the Mamata-led TMC submitted its reply on the deadline. The commission extended the deadline for the Ritabrata-led group to July 10, and then to July 25 after it sought a further 15 days.
Mamata Banerjee opposed the extension in a July 12 letter, saying the TMC had not been informed of any communication from Ritabrata Banerjee, and sought the conclusion of the inquiry on July 29.
On August 25, MLA Pirzada Siddique wrote to the EC alleging irregularities in the special session held by the Ritabrata-led group. Mamata Banerjee forwarded his letter to the commission on August 30, seeking an early conclusion of the inquiry.
O'Brien wrote to the EC on September 9 with the names of the TMC delegation that would meet the commission on September 12. The two sides subsequently appeared separately before the poll panel on that date to present their competing claims over the party's organisational control and authorised signatories.
In an interim order issued on September 17, the Commission, after hearing leaders of the two factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy, has directed that the matter requires substantive determination by the poll body under provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order 1968.
The EC had then ordered them not to use the party name and "Flowers and Grass symbol" during the West Bengal bypolls. Later, it had allocated them fresh symbols and names to contest the bypolls.
(With inputs from PTI)