Mamata Banerjee moves Supreme Court against EC freeze on Trinamool Congress name, symbol

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s interim decision to freeze the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) name and its reserved ‘Flowers & Grass’ election symbol.

The challenge comes amid a dispute between rival factions claiming control over the Trinamool Congress, with the Election Commission directing both sides to use separate names and symbols for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly bypolls.

What did the Election Commission decide?

The poll panel passed its interim order on September 17 after hearing representatives of the rival groups. Under the arrangement, neither faction can use the AITC name or the ‘Flowers & Grass’ symbol for the October 6 bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar.

The Commission subsequently allotted separate names and symbols to the two factions. The Mamata Banerjee-led group was given the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the ‘Football Player’ symbol, while the rival faction was allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the ‘Envelope’ symbol.

Dispute over party control

The Election Commission proceedings followed competing claims over the Trinamool Congress’ organisational control and its established political identity.

The Mamata Banerjee camp has maintained that its organisational structure remains valid, while the rival faction has disputed that position. The disagreement eventually reached the poll panel, which opted for an interim arrangement ahead of the bypolls rather than allowing either group to use the original party identity.

The new names and symbols are applicable to the current by-election process and do not amount to a final determination of the competing claims over the original party name and symbol.

Mamata challenges interim order in SC

Banerjee filed the Supreme Court petition on September 18 through advocate Abhinav Singh, challenging the Election Commission’s decision. The Election Commission and the rival faction have been named as respondents, according to reports.

The Supreme Court challenge comes less than three weeks before the October 6 bypolls, where both factions are set to contest under the separate identities allotted by the poll panel.