Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Ritabrata urges democratic governance as ECI weighs Trinamool claims
Two groups are arguing over who should control the Trinamool Congress party.
Ritabrata Banerjee leads one of the groups.
He told the Election Commission that the party should be run democratically.
He criticized what he described as control by one person and a family.
His group met the Commission in New Delhi.
The group showed documents supporting its claim to the party’s name and symbol.
The Commission asked for some more documents.
The Commission will also hear the group led by Mamata Banerjee before making a decision.
The decision matters because candidates must file nominations for two bypolls by September 16.
Ritabrata Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress should be run democratically rather than as a family-run party.
The Ritabrata-led faction presented arguments to the Election Commission of India over the party’s name and symbol.
The meeting at IIDEM in New Delhi lasted about one hour and 20 minutes.
The faction submitted most requested documents and was asked to provide additional documents.
The ECI is expected to decide after hearing the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, with September 16 the nomination deadline for Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls.
- Who
- Ritabrata Banerjee’s rebel faction, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, and the Election Commission of India.
- What
- The ECI is hearing competing claims over the Trinamool Congress name and election symbol.
- When
- The meeting took place on Saturday; September 16 was identified as the nomination deadline for the bypolls.
- Where
- At the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management in New Delhi.
- Why
- The factions are disputing control of the party’s name and symbol, and the rebel faction wants an early decision before the bypoll nomination deadline.
Ritabrata-led rebel faction
Mamata Banerjee-led faction
Party governance
Ritabrata-led rebel faction
Ritabrata Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress should be run democratically and not as a family-run party dependent on one person.
Mamata Banerjee-led faction
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction is the other party group involved in the dispute; its arguments were scheduled to be heard by the ECI, but they are not detailed in the report.
Name and symbol claim
Ritabrata-led rebel faction
The faction presented arguments and documents supporting its claim to the Trinamool Congress name and election symbol.
Mamata Banerjee-led faction
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction is also due to present its arguments regarding the party name and symbol.
Timing of the decision
Ritabrata-led rebel faction
The Ritabrata-led faction asked the ECI to decide quickly because September 16 is the nomination deadline for two bypolls.
Mamata Banerjee-led faction
The report does not state the Mamata Banerjee-led faction’s position on the timing of the decision.
- Leader making the statement
- Ritabrata Banerjee
- Disputed organization
- Trinamool Congress
- Reviewing authority
- Election Commission of India
- Meeting location
- India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, New Delhi
- Meeting duration
- Approximately one hour and 20 minutes
- Additional documents
- The ECI requested further documents from the Ritabrata-led faction
- Relevant deadline
- September 16, the last date for filing nominations for the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls