NEW DELHI: Derek O’Brien, Rajya Sabha MP of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) faction, on Thursday accused the Election Commission (ECI) of “working like a branch office” of the BJP.His remarks came over the extensions granted by the poll body to the rebel TMC faction in the dispute over which side is the “real” Trinamool Congress.“We responded to the Election Commission within the laid-down deadline of just three days. On the other hand, the EC has already granted two unprecedented extensions to the new Traitor Party for 23 days, and yet they have not been able to furnish a reply. EC should not brazenly work like a branch office of the BJP,” he said at a press conference in Kolkata.On July 2, the ECI sought responses from both the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and the rebel group led by Ritabrata Banerjee after they made conflicting claims over the party’s authorised organisational structure and signatories.The poll body had asked both sides to file their replies by 5:30 pm on July 6. While the Mamata Banerjee camp complied with the deadline, the Ritabrata Banerjee faction was granted an extension until 5:30 pm on July 10.The rebels were later given a second extension, this time until July 25.Earlier this week, senior Mamata Banerjee faction leader Kalyan Banerjee said the party had filed a detailed reply before the Election Commission, asserting that the tenure of the TMC’s National Working Committee remains valid until 2027 under the party’s constitution.The TMC split after its defeat to the BJP in the April assembly elections, ending its 15-year rule in West Bengal. Since then, more than 60 of its 80 newly elected MLAs, including several Mamata Banerjee loyalists, have joined the rebel faction.In the Lok Sabha, 20 of the TMC’s 28 MPs merged with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India and pledged support to the BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.(With ANI inputs)
