Trinamool name, symbol on interim freeze; factions told to pick new ones - The Indian Express
In an interim decision on Thursday, the Election Commission ordered a freeze on the name and election symbol of the All India Trinamool Congress, and directed the two rival factions to select new names and symbols until the dispute is resolved.
The EC’s decision comes 10 days after it announced bypolls in two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal — Nandigram and Rejinagar — on October 6. Both the factions, led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy, have nominated candidates for the bypolls.
“On due consideration of the totality of information available on record…the Commission is of the opinion that there are two rival groups in the All India Trinamool Congress, one led by Ms Mamata Banerjee and the other led by Shri Arup Roy, and each group is now claiming to be the party and therefore the matter requires a substantive determination by the Commission under Para 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order 1968,” the EC order said.
It is under Para 15 of the Symbols Order that the EC decides disputes within registered parties.
The order said there wasn’t enough time to resolve the dispute before the bypolls. “In order to place both the rival groups on even keel and to protect their rights and interests, and going by past precedence”, neither group would be permitted to use the name All India Trinamool Congress and the party’s “flowers and grass” symbol, it said.
“Both the groups shall be known by such names as they may choose for their respective groups, including, if they so desire, linkage with their parent party ‘All India Trinamool Congress’… both the groups shall also be allotted such different symbols as they may choose from the list of free symbols notified by the EC for the purposes of the current bye-elections,” it said.
The two sides have been asked to submit their preferences for names and symbols by Friday, 11 am.
Earlier in the day, the EC met both the factions. After the meeting, MP Kalyan Banerjee, of the Mamata faction, told reporters: “…we have said that no interim order should be passed”.
The Arup Roy faction was represented by Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Ritabrata Banerjee at the meeting with the EC.
The split in the party emerged soon after the BJP won the West Bengal Assembly elections in May. On June 3, around 60 of 80 Trinamool Congress MLAs rebelled against the party leadership, chose Ritabrata as the Leader of Opposition, and secured recognition from the Assembly Speaker. The rebel faction later declared Arup Roy as the party chairperson.
Of Mamata’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs, 20 have also broken away from the party and merged with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
In its interim order on Thursday, the EC noted that Mamata had informed it on June 23 that a meeting of the party’s national working committee was held on June 20, and the names of office-bearers and members of the national working committee were declared.
Ritabrata told the EC on June 23 that the tenure of the national working committee had ended on February 11, 2025, so it ceased to have the authority to make decisions after that. He said a special session of the party was convened on June 22, where Arup Roy was unanimously elected as party chairperson.
Mamata has maintained that the party constitution was submitted to the EC on March 9 this year, and it mentions that the term of the party’s office-bearers is five years. She has said the last elections took place in 2022, so the term of the office-bearers is valid until 2027.
The EC’s decision to freeze the party name and symbol follows the precedence in recent cases of splits within the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The EC had frozen the names and symbols of the parties until the dispute was resolved, finally allotting them to the rebel groups in both cases.
Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. Expertise Key Coverage Areas: Damini Nath currently specializes in reporting on two crucial beats: Housing and Urban Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis and reporting on India's urban development, policy, and housing issues. Election Commission (EC): Offering authoritative coverage of electoral processes, policies, and the functioning of India's constitutional body responsible for conducting elections. Professional Background: Her extensive experience includes roles as a reporter and sub-editor, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the journalistic process from fieldwork to final production. Previous Role: Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she served as a dedicated reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau, where her reporting portfolio included: Culture Social Justice Housing and Urban Affairs The Election Commission beat (a consistent area of focus). Trustworthiness Damini Nath's decade-plus career at two of India's most respected and authoritative news institutions, The Indian Express and The Hindu, underscores her commitment to factual, impartial, and high-quality reporting, establishing her as a trusted and credible source for news on urban governance and electoral matters. ... Read More
