EC yet to decide on TMC symbol dispute before bypolls
As the final day for filing nominations approaches for the upcoming bypolls in West Bengal on September 16, the Election Commission of India (ECI) remains uncertain about the Trinamool Congress symbol dispute. The ECI is slated to convene on September 17 to deliberate on the matter following Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's return from Bhutan.
The dispute centers on the twin-flower symbol, Jora Ghash Phool, contested by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and the Ritabrata-led faction. Both factions are set to participate in the October 6 bypolls, marking a critical electoral test for both after the Trinamool Congress' split following the assembly elections.
The ECI has previously dealt with similar symbol disputes ahead of bypolls but typically issues interim orders days prior to nomination deadlines, freezing the contested symbol and allotting temporary free symbols for bypoll purposes. For example, the 2022 order froze the Shiv Sena's bow and arrow symbol amid a factional disagreement, occurring on October 8 before the October 14 nomination deadline.
In 2021, the ECI froze the Lok Janshakti Party's bungalow symbol on October 3, days before bypoll nominations closed on October 8, amid a dispute between Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras factions.
This current conflict mirrors the previous instances, with the original Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool and the Ritabrata-led Trinamool Congress both claiming the right to be recognized as the authentic party. The factions met the ECI on September 12 and submitted their claims. However, the ECI's verdict is yet to be announced as nominations for the Nandigram and Rejinagar seats close for the October 6 bypolls.
The Nandigram and Rejinagar seats vacated by incumbent Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Humayun Kabir, respectively, will be contested by multiple parties, including the Ritabrata-led faction, BJP, Congress, and CPI(M). The Ritabrata faction has claimed that the Mamata-led Trinamool is their main opposition and plans to contest under the official party name and symbol, though the ECI's decision on the symbol dispute remains pending.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
