ISF moves Calcutta HC over EC's allotment of party's 'envelope' symbol to Democratic TMC

Aggrieved with the EC's move to change its electoral symbol for the upcoming bypolls in West Bengal, the Indian Secular Front (ISF) moved the Calcutta High Court on Monday challenging the poll body’s decision to allot the party’s symbol to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led dissident TMC faction, now called the Democratic Trinamool Congress, sources said.

The court is likely to hear the case later this week.

ISF challenges EC's symbol decision

The commission on Friday allotted the ‘envelope’ symbol, earlier used by the ISF, to the Democratic Trinamool Congress and replaced the Naushad Siddiqui-led party’s poll insignia with the ‘almirah’ symbol, much to the chagrin of the outfit.

Ending its long-standing alliance with the CPI(M), the ISF has independently fielded Ali Md Sabe Miraj Khan as its candidate for the Nandigram bypoll scheduled on October 6.

"We fought the 2026 Assembly elections with the ‘envelope’ symbol which we had registered with the EC in accordance with the rules. The upcoming votes are part of the exercise. How can the EC unilaterally change our poll symbol without consulting us?" Siddiqui said, questioning how a party like the Democratic TMC that did not even exist earlier could suddenly become a "recognised party" overnight.

Siddiqui questions symbol change

Siddiqui said his petition before the high court was preceded by an objection letter to the EC.

"The 'envelope' symbol is already widely recognised by our voters. Changing that at the final hour before elections would certainly confuse them. This looks like a ploy to reward the rebel TMC outfit with some free votes from our supporters which they will receive without making any effort," the ISF MLA from Bhangar added.

Maintaining that "such games should not be played", Siddiqui argued that the more competitive an election is and the more choices people have before them, the stronger the democratic process becomes.

Other parties also oppose EC decisions

Riju Dutta, a leader of the Ritabrata faction, however, said the ISF is an unrecognised party, and the EC was well within its rights to change the symbol.

The ISF’s legal move came on a day when the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress moved the Supreme Court, challenging the EC’s decision to freeze the party’s name and ‘grass and twin-flower’ symbol and seeking an urgent hearing on the matter.

Humayun Kabir, chief of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), which is contesting both Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls, has also lashed out against the EC for changing its earlier ‘whistle’ symbol to the ‘table’.