The Election Commission on Thursday temporarily froze the Trinamool Congress name and its iconic “two flowers on grass” election symbol, barring both the Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee factions from using them in the upcoming Assembly bypolls in West Bengal. The interim order means candidates fielded by the rival camps in Nandigram and Rejinagar will have to contest under separate temporary names and symbols when the two constituencies vote on October 6.
Neither camp gets symbol
The Commission issued the interim order after hearing the competing claims of the two factions, both of which insist that they represent the legitimate Trinamool Congress and are entitled to control its organisational identity and reserved symbol. With the dispute remaining unresolved and the bypoll process already underway, the poll panel decided against granting the existing name and symbol to either group for the two contests.
Both factions will now have to propose alternative names and indicate their preferences for election symbols. The Commission will allot separate symbols to the two groups for the bypolls. The arrangement is temporary and does not constitute a final determination of which faction is the legitimate Trinamool Congress. The larger dispute over organisational control and the permanent right to the party name and symbol will continue before the Commission.
Rivals field candidates
The decision assumes immediate significance because both camps have already fielded candidates for the October 6 elections. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has nominated Sanchita Pradhan Dey from Nandigram and former MLA Rabiul Alam Chowdhury from Rejinagar. The rival faction led by Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee has fielded Mohammad Eteshamul Haque from Nandigram and Safiuzzaman Sheikh from Rejinagar.
Both groups had filed nominations while staking claim to the Trinamool identity and symbol, turning the two bypolls into the first direct electoral confrontation between the rival camps since the party’s split. The Election Commission had held multiple hearings and sought documents from both sides as each attempted to demonstrate support within the party organisation and legislature.
Battle for ‘real’ TMC
The dispute erupted following the Trinamool Congress’ defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election and subsequently developed into an open struggle over the party leadership, organisational machinery, assets and electoral identity. Mamata Banerjee’s camp has maintained that the former chief minister continues to head the legitimate party organisation, while the Ritabrata faction has challenged that claim and cited support among elected representatives and sections of the organisation.
The Commission’s interim decision avoids handing either faction an immediate advantage in the politically significant bypolls while leaving the larger question of ownership unresolved. Nandigram and Rejinagar will vote on October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9. The contests will now carry an additional significance as both factions attempt to establish their political strength without access to the Trinamool name and familiar twin-flower symbol.