EC meets both Trinamool factions, seeks more documents from Ritabrata grouping

On September 12, 2026, the Election Commission met both factions of the Trinamool Congress, led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee, over their dispute regarding the party name and symbol. The EC sought additional documents from the Ritabrata faction, who had already presented oral submissions and shown some documents earlier in the meeting.

The Commission asked for more papers by the end of the day. This development occurs prior to the October 6 Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar, where the nomination process began on Wednesday and closes on September 16. Both factions have indicated their intention to field candidates in the upcoming byelection and have claimed the 'joda ghash phool' or 'twin grass flowers' symbol of the Trinamool Congress.

The EC may freeze the party symbol temporarily, based on precedent from the Shiv Sena case. Ritabrata Banerjee requested the Commission to decide the matter before the nomination deadline, stating his grouping's confidence in securing the Trinamool symbol. The Ritabrata faction provided details of anomalies in the Mamata faction's documents, particularly concerning the June 5 meeting of the Trinamool Congress Working Committee, where many office-bearers were changed by Mamata Banerjee.

The Mamata faction alleged that former MLA Chandrima Bhattacharya's letter claiming the June 5 meeting communication as false was false. Both factions met the EC on Saturday, with the Trinamool delegation asserting no dispute, emphasizing that Mamata Banerjee signed the party symbol under which the MLAs fought elections, and the party chairperson and national working committee have a five-year term.