Kolkata, 18 September (H.S.) : In the wake of the Election Commission's interim order freezing the name and the iconic twin flowers symbol of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition parties, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, have rallied firmly behind Mamata Banerjee. Leading the charge, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission on Friday morning.

Taking to social media, Gandhi accused the ruling BJP and the poll panel of acting in tandem to orchestrate splits within political parties. Drawing parallels with the political upheavals in Maharashtra involving the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Gandhi wrote, First the Shiv Sena, then the NCP, and now the Trinamool Congress. Every time, the BJP and the Election Commission jointly break a party into pieces and snatch its election symbol.

Criticizing the current political landscape, the Congress leader added, After stealing votes and stealing governments, now it is stealing parties. This has become a symbol of the degradation of our democracy. When an entire party can be hijacked, what is so surprising about the votes of crores of Indians being stolen? Reminding the poll body of its constitutional mandate, he noted that instead of upholding the verdict of the people, the institution was actively assisting forces that seek to undermine it. Gandhi concluded his message by asserting that the battle is not Mamata Banerjee's alone, but a fight for every political party and voter who desires free and fair elections.

The backlash follows the commission's late Thursday directive freezing the TMC's name and symbol amid an ongoing organizational dispute between the Kalighat faction led by Mamata Banerjee and the rebel camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee. The poll panel ruled that neither faction could use the All India Trinamool Congress name or the Jora Phul symbol in the upcoming October 6 Assembly by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar. Both groups must select temporary alternative names and free symbols from the commission's list until a final verdict on party ownership and funds is reached.

This marks a historic moment in the state's politics, as it will be the first time in 28 years, since the party's founding in 1998, that an election in West Bengal will take place without the twin flowers symbol on the ballot.

Other prominent opposition figures also voiced their dissent. Congress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal described the freezing of the TMC symbol as a birthday gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the poll body has once again proven to be a puppet of the ruling party.

Echoing the sentiment, Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal questioned the ruling party's electoral tactics, asking, Is this how they will win elections? Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also joined the chorus in condemning the Election Commission's move.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh