Mamata Vows to Fight On After ECI Freezes TMC Name and Symbol

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that she would fight on and emerge stronger after losing the Trinamool Congress party name and symbol ahead of the State's coming byelections.

Addressing a press conference a day after the Election Commission of India froze the "grass and twin flowers" symbol along with the name 'All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)', she said the interests of a political party were being served. She described the day as a black day in the history of democracy, calling the move unfortunate, unconstitutional, anti-democratic and politically biased.

The Commission's order on September 17 barred both the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction from using the party symbol and name in the Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar, scheduled for October 6.

Ms. Banerjee trained her guns on the poll body, alleging that a "fake" Special Intensive Revision exercise was orchestrated followed by "not so clean" elections. She said she did not respect the individual concerned, accusing him of working for the BJP, conducting a fake SIR and fake votes, and of allowing the CRPF to handle counting while counting agents were thrown out.

The ECI has allocated the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' to her faction, along with the symbol of a "football player", for the upcoming bypolls. Ms. Banerjee said alternative names and symbol preferences had been submitted only because the byelection process was already under way, adding that this did not mean she accepted what had happened and that the party would return to its original symbol.

She also targeted the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction, which has been allocated the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress', saying its members had betrayed the party's mother — its name and symbol. She said that if anyone truly respected the Trinamool Congress, they would not insult its mother by snatching away the symbol and making it an orphan, and that taking away the symbol showed they never loved Trinamool.

Ms. Banerjee founded the party in 1998 and designed its symbol herself. She said the party was built after a long struggle and was 29 years old when the symbol and name were taken from her.

Leaders of the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction said they had saved the Trinamool symbol from disgrace. Opposition Chief Whip Akhruzamman, a key member of the faction, said the decision was temporary for the bypoll, that the grass and twin flower symbol would remain with them, and that they had accepted the ECI's direction and had faith in the agency.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and State party president Samik Bhattacharya, said it was divine intervention that Ms. Banerjee had lost her party's symbol and name. Mr. Adhikari said the decision was the Election Commission's, that she had been unable to keep her party together, and that the BJP had no direct role in it. He added that in the coming days, no matter who survived, these people would not survive because whoever becomes boastful will face consequences from God.

The bypolls for Nandigram and Rejinagar are scheduled for October 6.