TMC to appeal to EC to reconsider withdrawal of national party status

Before it explores legal options against the withdrawal of its national party status, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will file a formal appeal with the Election Commission to review its decision, its leaders said Tuesday.

The Election Commission on Monday withdrew the national party status of the TMC, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).

"We will make a detailed representation to the EC. This is something we will do before exploring legal options. We will make our appeal to the EC soon," a TMC leader said on Tuesday.

The TMC, formed by Mamata Banerjee in 1998 after she parted ways with the Congress, became a state party in 2014. The party came to power in West Bengal in 2011 and subsequently expanded to Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura.

It received the national party tag in 2016, but its dismal show in Goa and some northeastern states has led to withdrawal of the status.