ECI bars both Trinamool factions from party name, symbol in Bengal bypolls

The Election Commission of India has barred both rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress from using the party's name and its 'flowers and grass' symbol in the upcoming Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal.

The interim order, issued on Thursday, September 17, 2026, followed a hearing at which representatives of the two camps appeared before the poll body — the second such hearing in less than five days. An earlier hearing was held on September 12, when the group led by Ritabrata Banerjee, currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, was asked to furnish additional documents.

Thursday's proceedings coincided with the close of scrutiny of nominations for the bypolls, which are scheduled for October 6. Candidates from both sides had filed papers using the Trinamool Congress's 'Joda Ghas Phool' symbol.

In its 14-page order, the Commission said the material on record indicated the existence of two rival groups within the party — one led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the other by Arup Roy, representing the Ritabrata faction — with each claiming to be the legitimate party. It held that the dispute required substantive determination under Para 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

The Commission said the arrangement was intended to place both groups on an even keel and protect their rights and interests. Neither group, it directed, may use the name 'All India Trinamool Congress' or the reserved 'flowers and grass' symbol. Each side may adopt a name of its choosing, including a reference to the parent party, and must select a different symbol from the list of free symbols notified by the Commission for the current bypolls.

Both factions have been asked to submit their proposed alternative names and symbols by 11 a.m. on Friday. The poll body has applied a similar approach in the past, including in the Shiv Sena split case.

The Congress criticised the decision. Party general secretary K.C. Venugopal, in a post on X, described the freezing of the symbol as a "bullet through the heart of Indian democracy" and accused the Commission of acting at the behest of the BJP. He pointed to earlier disputes involving the Shiv Sena and the NCP, and demanded that the 'two leaves' symbol be restored to Mamata Banerjee.