Mamata Banerjee’s faction slammed the ECI’s decision as “contrary to law,” while Ritabrata Banerjee’s breakaway group welcomed the move. Kalyan Banerjee, a senior TMC MP, echoed the former’s stance, warning that the order was “featuring many legal infirmities.” The latter camp, led by opposition whip Akhruzzaman Ansari, said it would comply, hoping the EC would eventually grant the party its original name and symbol.
Under the interim ruling, neither side may use the All India Trinamool Congress name or the twin‑flowers‑on‑grass symbol in the October 6 bypolls held in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The symbol has already been removed from electronic voting machines in those constituencies, leaving candidates to contest under placeholder labels.
The Election Commission asked both factions to submit, by 11 a.m. on September 18, a list of three preferred names and three free symbols, from which it will grant one for each group. The parties can reference their parent party in the names they propose, the notification said.
The split dates back to a dispute over the legitimacy of Mamata Banerjee’s National Working Committee, which Ritabrata claimed expired on February 11, 2025, rendering subsequent appointments void. The Mamata‑led faction has dismissed that claim, arguing the committee’s authority remained intact after the 2026 assembly‑election loss.
The interim ban arrives just days before the bypolls, risking voter confusion as the twin‑flower symbol has long been synonymous with the TMC’s brand. Local polling officials will need to explain the temporary change to voters in the two ridings.
Both factions are now racing to file their preferred lists, as the EC’s final decision will determine which name and symbol will appear on ballots for October 6. The outcome could reshape the party’s identity and influence the election’s outcome.