Kolkata: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that her party will support the Congress in the Nandigram assembly bypoll, hours after her camp's candidate withdrew from the contest following a meeting with CM Suvendu Adhikari.
Banerjee also hit out at the Election Commission over its decision to freeze the TMC's name and symbol, and said the move was "arbitrary".
She accused the BJP of trying to "destroy opposition parties" in the country.
Describing the development as a "black day for democracy", Banerjee questioned the EC's decision to freeze the party's traditional 'Jora Ghash Phul' (twin flowers and grass) symbol, which she said had been associated with the organisation for 28 years.
"How can they (EC) freeze my symbol, which has been with us since the beginning for the last 28 years?" she said.
The EC on Friday allotted the Banerjee-led faction the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'Football Player' symbol for the October 6 bypolls, while the rival Arup Roy-led group was given the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'Envelope' symbol.
The poll panel's interim decision came amid a bitter dispute between rival factions over the TMC's name and electoral symbol.
Banerjee alleged that the BJP was seeking to weaken opposition parties across the country.
"The BJP has looted the elections not in Bengal but also in other states and is now trying to destroy opposition parties," she alleged.
Referring to the political developments in Maharashtra, she said, "First they broke the party of Uddhav Thackeray and then the NCP. Now, they are after us."
Banerjee also alleged that Adhikari had earlier said he would not allow the TMC's name and symbol to survive.
"We are not going to bow our heads and neither will we surrender. We will fight and bounce back," Banerjee said.
The developments took a dramatic turn in Nandigram when Sanchita Pradhan Dey, fielded by the Banerjee camp, withdrew her nomination after meeting Adhikari at Nabanna.
Banerjee subsequently said her party had decided to support the Congress candidate in Nandigram "to strengthen the INDIA bloc", while a decision on Rejinagar would be taken later.
Incidentally, the Congress’s Bengal unit on Tuesday claimed that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had approached its central leadership earlier this month with an offer to leave the politically significant Nandigram seat to the grand old party for the October 6 bypoll, a claim rejected by the TMC.
The Congress leadership has declined the offer to align with the TMC.
"The rebels are the A-team of the BJP. Those who were elected on our symbol are now challenging it," she said.
Banerjee also said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had called her and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal had expressed solidarity.
"We will all fight together against the BJP," she said.
The Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls are scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9.