Archive · 18 Sep 2026
EC Freezes TMC Identity as Mamata Camp Gets New Symbol
The Election Commission stopped both groups from using the Trinamool Congress name and its familiar twin-flower symbol for now.
This happened because two groups claim to be the real party.
Mamata Banerjee’s group received a new name and a football-player symbol.
The other group received the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and an envelope symbol.
Reports disagree about which leader heads that rival group.
Mamata said the decision was unfair and a bad day for democracy.
She said she would continue fighting to regain the original name and symbol.
Her group also decided to support Congress in the Nandigram bypoll.
The Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls will take place on October 6, with counting on October 9.
The Election Commission barred both factions from using the All India Trinamool Congress name and twin-flower symbol for the October 6 West Bengal bypolls.
Mamata Banerjee’s faction was allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the “Football Player” symbol.
The rival faction was allotted “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “Envelope” symbol, although reports differed on whether it was led by Ritabrata Banerjee or Arup Roy.
Mamata Banerjee called the decision a “black day” for democracy and said she would challenge it politically, democratically and legally.
Her faction also announced support for Congress in Nandigram, saying the move would strengthen the INDIA alliance.
- Who
- The Mamata Banerjee-led faction, a rival faction identified in reports as led by either Ritabrata Banerjee or Arup Roy, and the Election Commission.
- What
- The Election Commission froze the All India Trinamool Congress name and twin-flower symbol and assigned separate names and symbols to the two factions.
- When
- The decision was announced on September 18; the bypolls are scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9.
- Where
- The dispute concerns West Bengal, including the Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies; Mamata Banerjee’s remarks were made in Kolkata.
- Why
- Both factions claim the party’s identity, leadership and reserved symbol, prompting the Election Commission to impose an interim arrangement pending a substantive decision.
Mamata Banerjee-led faction
Rival faction
Party identity
Mamata Banerjee-led faction
Mamata Banerjee said she founded and built the party and that the original name and twin-flower symbol belong to her faction.
Rival faction
The rival faction also claims to represent the authentic Trinamool Congress and received the name Democratic Trinamool Congress with the Envelope symbol.
Election Commission decision
Mamata Banerjee-led faction
Mamata Banerjee rejected the interim arrangement as a settlement and said her faction submitted replacement details only because the ongoing electoral process could not be stopped.
Rival faction
The rival faction accepted a separate interim name and symbol for the bypolls, according to the Election Commission’s allocation.
Organisational legitimacy
Mamata Banerjee-led faction
Mamata Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee said their faction had documentation of elections from the grassroots to the national level and questioned the rival camp’s organisational process.
Rival faction
The rival faction’s detailed response to those allegations is not provided; reports also differ over whether it is led by Ritabrata Banerjee or Arup Roy.
Nandigram contest
Mamata Banerjee-led faction
Mamata’s faction decided to support Congress in Nandigram to strengthen the INDIA alliance after its candidate withdrew.
Rival faction
The article says Congress had earlier rejected an alleged proposal to leave the Nandigram seat to it, while the Trinamool Congress denied making such an offer.
- Mamata faction’s name
- Mamata All India Trinamool Congress
- Mamata faction’s symbol
- Football Player
- Rival faction’s reported name
- Democratic Trinamool Congress
- Rival faction’s symbol
- Envelope
- Banned identity
- All India Trinamool Congress name and jora phool, or twin-flower, symbol
- Bypoll date
- October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9
- Mamata’s response
- She called the decision unconstitutional, illegal, undemocratic and biased, and said she would challenge it politically and legally
