Archive · 18 Sep 2026
Election Commission Bars Rival TMC Factions From Name, Symbol
The Trinamool Congress party has split into two groups.
Both groups say they are the real party.
The Election Commission has temporarily stopped both groups from using the party’s name and familiar symbol.
This rule applies to the October 6 elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
The commission will study the groups’ competing claims before making a final decision.
Ritabrata Banerjee supported the order and said political parties cannot be treated like private companies.
Mamata Banerjee’s supporters criticized the decision and said they had other plans.
The bypolls will show how voters respond without the usual TMC identity.
The Election Commission barred both TMC factions from using the party name and its reserved Flowers and Grass symbol in two October 6 bypolls.
The commission identified rival groups led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy, representing the rebel Ritabrata Banerjee camp.
The competing claims will undergo substantive adjudication under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols Order, 1968.
Both factions must submit three alternative names and three free symbols to the commission.
Ritabrata Banerjee welcomed the order, while the Mamata camp alleged misuse of the Election Commission and said it had backup strategies.
- Who
- Rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress, including groups led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy from the Ritabrata Banerjee camp.
- What
- The Election Commission temporarily barred both factions from using the TMC name and reserved Flowers and Grass symbol.
- When
- The interim order was issued Thursday night; the affected bypolls are scheduled for October 6.
- Where
- The bypolls are in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
- Why
- The commission said both factions claim to represent the party, requiring adjudication under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
Ritabrata Banerjee and Rebel Camp
Mamata Banerjee Camp
Meaning of the Election Commission order
Ritabrata Banerjee and Rebel Camp
Ritabrata Banerjee welcomed the order, saying a political party is not a private company and cannot have an heir or be run dictatorially.
Mamata Banerjee Camp
Kunal Ghosh criticized the order, alleging that the Centre and the BJP had misused the Election Commission.
Importance of the party symbol
Ritabrata Banerjee and Rebel Camp
The rebel camp’s position suggests that the established name and symbol do not alone determine the party’s legitimate leadership or political identity.
Mamata Banerjee Camp
Kunal Ghosh said supporters identify Mamata Banerjee as the party’s political face and sought to downplay the symbol’s importance.
Strategy for the bypolls
Ritabrata Banerjee and Rebel Camp
The rebel faction will have to contest without the established TMC name and symbol while seeking an alternative identity.
Mamata Banerjee Camp
The Mamata camp said it had legal, technical and strategic options, described as “Plan B” and “Plan C,” and urged supporters to prepare for a long battle.
- Disputed party
- All India Trinamool Congress
- Interim ruling
- Neither faction may use the party name or reserved symbol in the October 6 bypolls.
- Rival groups
- One group is led by Mamata Banerjee; the other is led by Arup Roy from the rebel Ritabrata Banerjee camp.
- Affected constituencies
- Nandigram and Rejinagar
- Alternative identities
- Each faction must submit three possible names and three free symbols.
- Relevant provision
- Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
- Final status
- The broader dispute over organisational control and the reserved symbol remains undecided.