The Trinamool Congress’s internal battle has entered a new electoral phase, with the Election Commission assigning separate names and symbols to the rival factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy. The move comes ahead of the October 6 West Bengal Assembly bypolls and follows the poll panel’s interim decision to freeze the use of the original TMC name and its “Flowers and Grass” symbol.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday allotted separate names and election symbols to the two rival factions of the Trinamool Congress, providing them with distinct electoral identities ahead of the October 6 West Bengal Assembly bypolls.
The faction led by Mamata Banerjee has been allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the Football Player symbol. The group will be recognised as a political party in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura.
The rival faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the Envelope symbol. It too will be treated as a recognised political party in the three states.
The latest decision follows an interim order issued by the poll panel on Thursday, when it barred both factions from using the name “All India Trinamool Congress” and the party’s reserved “Flowers and Grass” symbol for the upcoming bypolls.
The ECI said competing claims had emerged from two rival groups, with each asserting that it represented the recognised political party. Since the dispute concerns organisational control, authorised representatives, the party name and the reserved symbol, the Commission said a substantive determination was required under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
With the bypoll schedule leaving limited time for a final adjudication, the Commission opted for an interim arrangement. Both factions were asked to submit three preferred names and three free symbols, from which the poll panel subsequently allotted one combination to each group.
The stated objective was to ensure that the rival camps remained on an equal footing during the election process and that their electoral rights and interests were protected until the larger dispute is settled.
The decision assumes significance because both factions have fielded candidates in the upcoming bypolls to Nandigram and Rejinagar.
The Nandigram seat fell vacant after the resignation of Suvendu Adhikari, while the Rejinagar constituency became vacant following the resignation of Humayun Kabir. The Mamata-led faction has fielded Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) from Nandigram and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury from Rejinagar.
The fresh names and symbols will now provide separate identities to candidates backed by the two rival camps during the bypoll process.
The ECI’s arrangement is, however, not a final ruling on which faction is entitled to the original Trinamool Congress name and its reserved symbol. The broader dispute remains pending before the Commission, which will have to examine the competing organisational claims before reaching a final determination.
The Commission’s decision effectively means that the familiar TMC identity will not be available to either side for the immediate bypoll contest. Instead, voters will see two different party names and symbols representing the rival camps.
The developments have also triggered political reactions. West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee invoked democracy and constitutional values in a post on X, saying politics involved changing interests, needs and priorities while stressing the importance of democratic values.
The latest ECI order therefore provides an immediate electoral framework for the October 6 contest, but it does not settle the underlying battle over control of the Trinamool Congress. The final decision on the party’s organisational identity, name and traditional symbol remains to be taken by the poll panel.
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