{
  "id": 8191628,
  "title": "'Joining Forces To Split Party': Rahul Gandhi Slams BJP & EC Over TMC Name And Symbol Freeze",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/joining-forces-to-split-party-rahul-gandhi-slams-bjp-ec-over-tmc-name",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T06:15:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/joining-forces-to-split-party-rahul-gandhi-slams-bjp-ec-over-tmc-name-and-symbol-freeze"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi strongly criticized the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over their decision to freeze the name and symbol of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). In a post on X, Gandhi accused the BJP and ECI of collaborating to weaken opposition parties, stating that the move marks a decline in India's democracy. He alleged that the ECI is failing its constitutional duty to protect voters and instead aiding the BJP in overturning election results. Gandhi further questioned the conduct of the ECI, asking if elections would be won in such a manner. The interim order from the ECI barred both factions of the AITC, led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy, from using the party's name or symbol until the leadership dispute is resolved.",
  "summary": "New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India, following the ECI's interim order to freeze the name and \"Flowers and Grass\" symbol of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), saying that \"party theft\" has joined vote and government theft as a defining mark of India's…",
  "key_points": [
    "Rahul Gandhi criticizes BJP and ECI for freezing TMC's name and symbol.",
    "Congress leader accuses collaboration to weaken opposition parties.",
    "ECI accused of failing constitutional duty to protect voters."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express - India",
        "title": "‘Vote theft. Party theft’: Rahul Gandhi backs Mamata Banerjee after TMC symbol freeze",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/vote-theft-party-theft-rahul-gandhi-backs-mamata-banerjee-after-tmc",
        "published": "2026-09-18T05:06:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "'Vote theft, govt theft, now party theft': Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal slam EC over TMC symbol freeze",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/vote-theft-govt-theft-now-party-theft-rahul-gandhi-kejriwal-slam-ec",
        "published": "2026-09-18T06:36:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}