{
  "id": 16620104,
  "title": "Ritabrata alleges bid to snatch EC affidavits, Mamata camp hits back",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/ritabrata-alleges-bid-to-snatch-ec-affidavits-mamata-camp-hits-back",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-26T15:51:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/ritabrata-banerjee-ec-affidavits-mamata-10937842/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Democratic Trinamool Congress faction, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, accused the Mamata faction of attempting to seize documents intended for submission to the Election Commission regarding the dispute over the party's name and election symbol. In a social media post, Ritabrata claimed that their workers were transporting affidavits by road, while the Mamata faction's affidavits were transported by chartered flight to Delhi on October 25. Ritabrata's workers intercepted the attempt to seize their documents and resisted bravely, stating that despotism would not succeed in their \"organized loot.\"\n\nIn response to Ritabrata's allegations, Baiswanor Chatterjee, the leader of the Mamata faction and former mayor-in-council member, dismissed the claims. Chatterjee accused Ritabrata of being involved in \"snatching and looting\" ballot boxes and labeled him a traitor. The TMC faction leader stated that the grassroot-level workers of the TMC could not accept Ritabrata and that his words held no value. The rift within the Trinamool Congress party began after the West Bengal Assembly elections, with both factions claiming the party's official name and election symbol. The Election Commission froze the dispute, assigned separate interim symbols to each faction, and directed them to submit documentary evidence to support their claims.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Ritabrata Banerjee's faction accuses Mamata faction of attempting to seize EC affidavits.",
    "Affidavits transported by road by Ritabrata's workers, chartered flight by Mamata's faction.",
    "Mamata faction leader Baiswanor Chatterjee denies snatching claims, calls Ritabrata a traitor."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}