On Thursday, the Election Commission issued an interim order that barred rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress from using the party name and its reserved ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol in the West Bengal bypolls. The directive came after the EC found that two groups — led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy — claimed to be the legitimate TMC.
Under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, the EC must determine which group is the true party before allowing either to use the name or symbol. The interim ruling was intended to keep both factions on an even keel while a substantive decision is pending.
Rahul Gandhi slammed the move as part of a pattern where the BJP and the EC conspire to split parties and strip them of symbols. ‘Vote chori, government chori, now party chori,’ he posted on X, warning that if a party can be stolen, so can the votes of Indians.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal called the order a ‘late‑night birthday gift’ to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the EC of abandoning its constitutional duty to protect the electoral mandate. Venugopal said the poll panel was aiding forces that overturn the people’s verdict.
The EC has asked both factions to submit alternative names and free symbols by the deadline for the bypolls, and a substantive determination will be issued once the dispute is resolved. The decision will shape the contest for the vacant seats in the West Bengal assembly.