The Calcutta High Court shut the door on the Indian Secular Front's legal attempt to hold onto its 'envelope' poll symbol on Wednesday. Justice Krishna Rao dismissed the petition filed by the Naushad Siddiqui-led party, stating the claim lacked merit. The ISF had argued the symbol was theirs, citing a March 10 Election Commission order, but the judge clarified that symbol usage rights expire once the specific election for which it was allotted concludes.
The dispute centers on the Nandigram bypoll scheduled for October 6. The ISF contested the 2024 Lok Sabha and the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections with the 'envelope' symbol. The Election Commission, however, reassigned that mark to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction. In return, the EC allotted the ISF the 'almirah' symbol. Justice Rao noted that the ISF's use of the 'envelope' was conditional strictly for the 2026 assembly election, which ended in May. Therefore, no residual right exists for the bypoll.
The court also addressed the ISF's argument that the bypoll is a continuation of the previous assembly election. Petitioner's counsel Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya tried to frame it that way, but the judge rejected the premise. The EC’s counsel countered that the ISF is a registered but not recognized party. Unlike the BJP or Congress, such parties do not own symbols; they borrow them for specific campaigns. The EC's lawyer pointed out that the party was already campaigning with the 'almirah' symbol, suggesting the petition was an attempt to stall the electoral process.
With the high court's verdict final, the administrative groundwork for the Nandigram bypoll proceeds without the symbol dispute hanging over it. The ISF must now adjust its campaign materials and voter outreach to reflect the 'almirah' mark. For the TMC faction, the ruling secures a recognizable identity for their candidates in this critical by-election, removing a legal hurdle that could have delayed the voting schedule.