Supreme Court sets time frame for EC to decide TMC name, symbol dispute
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The top court passed the order while hearing a plea filed by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the EC’s decision to freeze the party’s name and symbol. File | Photo Credit: S. Subramanium
The Supreme Court on Monday (September 28, 2026) directed the Election Commission (EC) to decide the dispute between the two rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the party name and the “flowers and grass” election symbol.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana asked the rival factions to complete their pleadings in the proceedings before the poll panel within four weeks.
The Bench directed the EC to decide the issue within three months after the parties complete their pleadings.
The top court passed the order while hearing a plea filed by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the EC’s decision to freeze the party’s name and symbol.
The EC had allotted separate names and symbols to the two factions following its interim decision to bar both groups from using the All India Trinamool Congress name and its reserved symbol pending a substantive determination of the dispute.
In its interim order, the poll panel, after hearing leaders of the two factions led by Ms. Banerjee and Arup Roy, said the matter required substantive determination under the provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968
.Assembly byelections to Nandigram in East Medinipur district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district of West Bengal are scheduled for October 6, 2026, with counting of votes on October 9, 2026.The Bench directed the EC to decide the issue within three months after the parties complete their pleadings.
The top court passed the order while hearing a plea filed by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the EC's decision to freeze the party's name and symbol.
The EC had allotted separate names and symbols to the two factions following its interim decision to bar both groups from using the All India Trinamool Congress name and its reserved symbol pending a substantive determination of the dispute.
In its interim order, the poll panel, after hearing leaders of the two factions led by Ms. Banerjee and Arup Roy, said the matter required substantive determination under the provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
Assembly byelections to Nandigram in East Medinipur district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district of West Bengal are scheduled for October 6, 2026, with counting of votes on October 9, 2026.
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