Election Commission Bans Trinamool Factions from Using Party Symbol and Name
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued an interim order preventing both rival factions of the Trinamool Congress from using the party’s official name and reserved election symbol in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly bypolls.
The order applies to the October 6 bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The two rival groups, led by Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee, had fielded candidates while claiming the Trinamool Congress identity and its “flowers and grass” symbol.
The Election Commission has asked both groups to submit three alternative names and three free-symbol choices in order of preference by 11 a.m. on Friday. The Commission will then allot a separate name and symbol to each group for the bypolls.
The decision follows hearings held by the Election Commission after both sides submitted competing claims over control of the party. The Commission said the dispute requires a detailed determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
The interim arrangement is intended to remain in place while the Commission considers the larger dispute over which faction is entitled to represent the Trinamool Congress. The current order is therefore not a final decision on the long-term ownership of the party name or symbol.
The development has drawn strong reactions from political parties. Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal criticised the Election Commission’s decision and described it as harmful to democratic processes. These comments represent the Congress party’s political response to the order.
The dispute has created an unusual situation for the upcoming bypolls, as neither faction will be able to appear on the ballot using the established Trinamool Congress name and symbol. Both groups will instead have to campaign under the temporary identities allotted by the Election Commission.
The Commission’s approach is similar to the temporary arrangements used in earlier disputes involving rival factions of political parties, including the Shiv Sena dispute. In such situations, the poll body can take interim steps when a final decision over the party’s identity cannot be completed before an election.
The latest order is expected to have an immediate impact on the campaign in Nandigram and Rejinagar. Both factions must now communicate their new temporary names and symbols to voters while the larger dispute continues.
The final decision on which faction can use the Trinamool Congress name and its reserved symbol will depend on the Election Commission’s further proceedings and examination of the claims submitted by both sides.