Supreme Court Gives Election Commission Three Months to Resolve Trinamool Symbol Dispute

The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to deliver a final ruling on the dispute over the Trinamool Congress name and its twin-flower election symbol within three months, turning down the poll body's request for a longer timeline.

The order came on a petition filed by Mamata Banerjee, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal, who had challenged the Commission's decision to freeze the party symbol.

The dispute traces back to a split in the party after the assembly elections, with both factions claiming the twin-flower symbol and asserting that they represent the real Trinamool Congress. The row echoes earlier battles over the symbols of the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party.

On September 17, the Commission froze the symbol and allotted fresh symbols to both camps for the upcoming by-elections in two assembly constituencies, including Nandigram.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed all parties to present their case and submit the necessary documents within four weeks. After that period, the Commission must reach a final decision within three months.

The Commission had argued that a matter of such complexity would require at least six months. Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that three months would be sufficient, and the bench said the Commission could approach the court if it encountered any difficulty.

The rebel camp, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, calls itself AITC-Democratic, while the faction led by Mamata Banerjee has been referred to as the AITC-Mamata group. The Commission has allotted revised names and symbols to both sides. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction is now called the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and has been given the football player symbol, while the Ritabrata Banerjee faction has been named the Democratic Trinamool Congress and allotted the envelope symbol.