Archive · 1 Oct 2026
High Court Rejects ISF Challenge Over Nandigram Envelope Symbol
The Indian Secular Front wanted to keep using an envelope symbol in the Nandigram bypoll.
The Election Commission gave that symbol to another party, the Democratic Trinamool Congress.
The ISF went to the Calcutta High Court to challenge the decision.
The court said the ISF had received the symbol only conditionally for the 2026 Assembly election.
It also said the ISF did not have a permanent right to use it.
The court therefore allowed the reassignment to stand.
The ISF will use an almirah symbol instead.
Its leader said the party would appeal and called the reassignment unfair.
The BJP denied having any role in the decision.
The Calcutta High Court dismissed the Indian Secular Front’s petition challenging the envelope symbol’s allotment to the Democratic Trinamool Congress.
Justice Krishna Rao ruled that the ISF’s earlier allotment of the symbol was conditional and applied to the 2026 Bengal Assembly election.
The Election Commission said the envelope was a free symbol and the unrecognised ISF had no permanent or exclusive claim over it.
The Democratic Trinamool Congress will use the envelope, while the ISF will contest with the almirah symbol in the October 6 Nandigram bypoll.
ISF leader Nawsad Siddique rejected the decision and said his party would challenge it before a division bench; the BJP denied involvement in the reassignment.
- Who
- The Indian Secular Front, the Democratic Trinamool Congress, the Election Commission, the Calcutta High Court and ISF leader Nawsad Siddique are central to the dispute.
- What
- The Calcutta High Court dismissed the ISF’s challenge to the Election Commission’s decision to allot the envelope election symbol to the Democratic Trinamool Congress.
- When
- The ruling was issued on Wednesday, ahead of the October 6 Assembly bypoll; the article identifies the relevant Assembly election as the 2026 Bengal election.
- Where
- The dispute concerns the Nandigram Assembly constituency in Bengal.
- Why
- The Election Commission said the envelope was a free symbol and that the ISF’s earlier allotment was conditional, while the ISF argued that voters associated the symbol with its previous campaigns.
Indian Secular Front
Election Commission and Democratic Trinamool Congress
Right to the envelope symbol
Indian Secular Front
The ISF argued that the envelope had become closely associated with the party through previous campaigns and that giving it to another party could confuse Nandigram voters.
Election Commission and Democratic Trinamool Congress
The Election Commission said the ISF was a registered but unrecognised party with no permanent or exclusive right to the envelope, which was a free symbol.
Fairness of the reassignment
Indian Secular Front
Nawsad Siddique called the reassignment unfair and immoral and alleged a political conspiracy to weaken the Opposition.
Election Commission and Democratic Trinamool Congress
The Election Commission defended its authority to allot the free symbol, while the court declined to interfere with the election process.
Role of the BJP
Indian Secular Front
Siddique alleged that the symbol decision formed part of a wider effort to weaken the Opposition and apparently blamed the BJP.
Election Commission and Democratic Trinamool Congress
The BJP, which is contesting the bypoll with Hasirani Rath, denied having any hand in the Election Commission’s decision.
- Court ruling
- The Calcutta High Court dismissed the ISF petition.
- Judge
- Justice Krishna Rao issued the ruling.
- Election symbol
- The Democratic Trinamool Congress will use the envelope symbol; the ISF will use the almirah symbol.
- Election date
- The Nandigram Assembly bypoll is scheduled for October 6.
- Election Commission position
- The envelope is one of 183 free symbols available for temporary allotment to unrecognised political parties.
- ISF response
- Nawsad Siddique said the party would challenge the order before a division bench.
- BJP position
- The BJP denied any role in the Election Commission’s decision.