New Delhi, 19 September (H.S.): Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s decision to freeze the Trinamool Congress’ party name and election symbol amid a dispute between two rival factions of the party.

The Election Commission on September 18 ordered the allocation of separate names and election symbols to the two rival factions. A day earlier, on September 17, the poll panel had barred both groups from using the name ‘All India Trinamool Congress’ and its reserved ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol until a final decision was reached in the dispute. In its interim order, the Election Commission, after hearing representatives of the factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy, said the matter required a substantive determination under the provisions governing the reservation and allotment of election symbols. In her petition, Mamata Banerjee has named the Election Commission and West Bengal Assembly Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee as respondents.

The Election Commission subsequently allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘Football Player’ symbol, while the rival faction led by Arup Roy and represented by Ritabrata Banerjee was allotted the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘Envelope’ symbol. The arrangement is applicable to the upcoming West Bengal Assembly by-elections.

In June, 58 rebel MLAs elected expelled party leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, replacing the Mamata faction’s nominee, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, and secured recognition from the Speaker. The development marked the first major split in the party’s 28-year history.

A few days later, the rebellion extended to Parliament. Twenty Lok Sabha MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar joined the lesser-known NCPI and wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, expressing support for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as a separate group, further deepening the division within the party’s parliamentary wing.

The dispute over the party’s organisational control, name and election symbol subsequently reached the Election Commission, which heard representatives of both factions before passing its interim order on September 17. The Commission’s arrangement prevents either faction from using the original party name and reserved symbol until the dispute is finally determined.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar