The Election Commission on Tuesday issued an interim order preventing both Mamata Banerjee‑led and Arup Roy‑led groups from using the All India Trinamool Congress name and its reserved 'Flowers and Grass' logo in the upcoming Oct. 6 bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. Chief Election Commissioner said the ruling reflects the existence of two rival factions claiming the party’s identity and that a full adjudication under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols Order, 1968, is pending.
The dispute surfaced when both factions began fielding candidates under the same banner, sparking confusion among voters and prompting the EC to act swiftly. Banerjee’s wing, rooted in the party’s historic leadership, and Roy’s faction, backed by a cadre of former party workers, have both registered candidates for the bypolls.
Under the interim directive, neither faction may use the official party name or its emblem. Each side must submit three alternate names and three free symbols by the 30‑day deadline. The Commission will then allocate one of the proposed identities for the election.
Paragraph 15 of the 1968 Order governs such intra‑party conflicts, allowing the EC to hear both sides and decide which faction, if any, legitimately represents the registered party. The EC’s action mirrors the 2022 Shiv Sena freeze, where the body halted the use of 'Shiv Sena' and its 'Bow and Arrow' symbol for a similar bypoll, later resolving the split in February 2023.
For Nandigram resident Ramesh Kumar, the freeze feels like a relief: "We can now tell our neighbors who the real TMC is, without the chaos of two parties shouting the same name," he said over the phone.
The bypolls will proceed under the newly assigned names and symbols, but the ultimate determination of the party’s rightful owners will await the Commission’s final ruling after the votes are counted. The decision will set a precedent for future factional disputes in India’s political landscape.