Mamata Gets All India Trinamool Congress, Ritabrata Faction Named Democratic Trinamool Congress - ABP Live English

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday allotted new names and election symbols to the two rival factions of the Trinamool Congress, a day after barring both groups from using the party's existing name and “Flowers and Grass” symbol ahead of the October 6 West Bengal bypolls.

The faction led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol. The group will be treated as a recognised political party in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura.

The rival faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol. It will also be treated as a recognised political party in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura.

The development follows the ECI's interim order on Thursday, under which neither faction was allowed to use the name “All India Trinamool Congress” or the party's reserved “Flowers and Grass” symbol until the leadership dispute is finally resolved.

The poll panel said the dispute involved two rival groups, one led by Mamata Banerjee and the other by Arup Roy, with both claiming to represent the recognised political party. The Commission said the matter required a substantive determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

As an interim arrangement for the upcoming bypolls, the ECI directed both factions to submit three preferred names and three free symbols. The Commission subsequently allotted one name and one symbol to each group.

The ECI's decision comes ahead of the October 6 Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar, where both factions have fielded candidates.

The Nandigram seat fell vacant after Suvendu Adhikari resigned as MLA, while the Rejinagar seat became vacant following Humayun Kabir's resignation. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has fielded Sanchita Pradhan (Dey) from Nandigram and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury from Rejinagar.

The interim arrangement will remain in place until the Election Commission takes a final decision on the dispute over organisational control, party identity, name and symbol. The ECI's Thursday order said the arrangement was intended to place the rival groups on an equal footing and protect their rights and interests during the bypolls.

Amid the continuing factional dispute, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Friday invoked the values of democracy and the Constitution.

In a post on X, Banerjee wrote: “Politics is a permanent war; a war at every hour; a war at every minute; a war at every second - a war that changes interests, needs and priorities. Long live the eternal ideas & values of Democracy enshrined in India's Constitution.”

The ECI's latest decision gives the two factions separate electoral identities for the upcoming bypolls, while the broader dispute over control of the Trinamool Congress remains pending before the poll panel.

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