In Fight For Trinamool Name And Symbol, Poll Body's Freeze Ahead Of Bypolls - NDTV
The Election Commission has frozen the Trinamool Congress name and symbol amid a split between Mamata Banerjee’s main party and Ritabrata Banerjee’s breakaway faction, scheduling a hearing for September 17. Congress has called for the rejection of rival TMC nominations in Nandigram, citing the unresolved dispute as a threat to electoral fairness.
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The Election Commission has frozen the Trinamool Congress name and symbol amid a split between Mamata Banerjee’s main party and Ritabrata Banerjee’s breakaway faction, scheduling a hearing for September 17. Congress has called for the rejection of rival TMC nominations in Nandigram, citing the unresolved dispute as a threat to electoral fairness.
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**West Bengal by‑elections hit a roadblock as the Election Commission of India (EC) ordered a freeze on the use of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) name and election symbol.** The decision comes amid an escalating intra‑party feud between the ruling faction led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a breakaway group headed by former minister Ritabrata Banerjee, who has been contesting the legitimacy of the party’s leadership. Both camps had filed separate petitions seeking exclusive rights to the iconic “grassroots” flower symbol and the party’s registered name, prompting the EC to intervene to prevent confusion among voters ahead of the upcoming assembly by‑polls in Nandigram, Hooghly, and other constituencies.
The commission scheduled a hearing for **September 17** to adjudicate the dispute, during which each faction will be required to present evidence of its claim to the party’s legal identity. In the meantime, the EC has barred both groups from displaying the TMC emblem on ballots, campaign material, or any public communication, effectively forcing candidates to run as “independents” or under alternative designations. The freeze has already complicated campaign logistics, with local party workers scrambling to re‑brand signage, voter outreach kits, and social‑media assets within a tight timeline.
The opposition **Congress party** has seized on the turmoil, urging the EC to reject the nominations of any candidate aligned with the rival TMC faction in Nandigram, arguing that the unresolved symbol row undermines the fairness of the contest. Political analysts warn that the prolonged standoff could fragment the anti‑BJP vote and embolden the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidates in the tightly contested by‑polls. The outcome of the EC’s hearing will not only determine the visual identity of West Bengal’s dominant regional party but also shape the tactical calculus for all parties as the state heads toward its next electoral showdown.
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