The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has submitted alternative names and election symbols to the Election Commission of India after the poll panel temporarily barred the faction from using the party’s existing identity.
The faction sent its choices to the Election Commission at 11:36 pm on Thursday. It submitted the options “under strongest protest”, according to sources cited by the Economic Times and India Today.
The development follows an interim order from the Election Commission. The order prevents both rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress from using the party name and its reserved “Flowers and Grass” symbol during the upcoming West Bengal bypolls.
The bypolls are scheduled for October 6 in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
Election Commission Freezes Existing Party Identity
The Election Commission issued the interim order on Thursday night after hearing representatives of the two rival factions.
The poll panel said both groups must use separate names and symbols for the upcoming bypolls. It asked each faction to submit three preferred names and three symbol choices from the list of free symbols.
The Commission said the temporary arrangement would apply to the upcoming bypolls. It will remain in force until the poll panel makes a final decision on the dispute under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
The Commission also noted the limited time available before the bypolls. It said there was not enough time to complete the full proceedings under Paragraph 15 before the elections.
Mamata Faction Suggests Three Names
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction submitted three alternative party names.
One of the proposed names is “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress.” India Today reported that the faction also submitted two sports-related symbol choices.
The poll panel had asked both sides to provide alternatives before the September 18 deadline. The Commission was expected to decide on the names and symbols later on Friday.
The faction’s submission allows it to continue participating in the October 6 bypolls while the larger dispute over the party’s identity remains unresolved.
Sports Symbols Among Mamata Camp’s Choices
The Mamata faction submitted two symbol preferences along with its proposed names.
According to India Today, the faction’s first symbol preference is related to football. Its second choice is also connected with sports.
The Commission’s order required the symbols to come from the list of free or available symbols notified for independent candidates and registered unrecognised political parties.
The final allocation therefore remains with the Election Commission.
Rival Faction Also Submits Alternatives
The rival faction led by West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee has also submitted alternative names and symbols.
Its proposed names include “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and “Nationalist Trinamool Congress.” The faction submitted three symbol choices to the poll panel.
The Commission will decide the temporary identities for both groups for the bypolls.
The decision comes amid a wider organisational dispute that has divided the party after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Dispute Began With Internal Rebellion
The dispute over the party name and symbol follows a rebellion within the TMC legislature party.
According to reports, the rebellion began after the May Assembly elections and later expanded beyond the state legislature.
In June, rebel MLAs supported Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the TMC legislature party. The Assembly Speaker subsequently recognised him as the Leader of the Opposition.
The rebel group has challenged the leadership structure within the party. Mamata Banerjee’s camp, however, continues to recognise her as the party’s leader.
The dispute eventually reached the Election Commission because both sides claimed the party’s organisational identity.
‘Flowers and Grass’ Symbol Has Long Association With TMC
The “Flowers and Grass” symbol has been closely associated with the Trinamool Congress since the party’s formation in 1998.
Mamata Banerjee founded the TMC after breaking away from the Congress. The hand-drawn symbol became a prominent part of the party’s political identity over the following decades.
The Election Commission’s interim decision means that the symbol will not appear for either faction in the October 6 West Bengal bypolls.
The final ownership of the party name and reserved symbol remains subject to the Commission’s substantive proceedings.
Bypolls Create Immediate Deadline
The upcoming bypolls have created an immediate need for the two factions to secure temporary electoral identities.
Candidates and political parties need recognised names and symbols for the ballot process. The Election Commission therefore introduced an interim arrangement rather than waiting for the full dispute-resolution process.
The two constituencies involved are Nandigram and Rejinagar. Both are scheduled to vote on October 6.
The Commission’s order applies specifically to these upcoming elections. It does not represent a final determination of which faction is entitled to the original party name and symbol.
Mamata Camp Protests the Election Commission Order
The Mamata-led faction has strongly objected to the Election Commission’s interim decision.
The faction submitted its alternative choices while recording its protest against the order. Sources said the submission reached the poll panel shortly before the deadline.
This allows the faction to comply with the immediate electoral requirement while maintaining its objection to the Commission’s interim arrangement.
The rival faction has taken a different position on the Commission’s decision and has also submitted its own alternatives.
BJP Reacts to the TMC Dispute
The development has also drawn comments from the BJP in West Bengal.
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya described the Election Commission’s decision as “divine justice” and referred to an earlier TMC decision concerning the sale of items featuring lotus images in North 24 Parganas.
His comments represent the BJP’s political response to the ongoing dispute. The TMC factions remain focused on the legal and organisational battle over their party identity.
Final Decision on Party Identity Still Pending
The Election Commission’s latest action is an interim measure rather than a final decision on the TMC dispute.
Both factions will use separate temporary names and symbols for the upcoming bypolls. The Commission will continue examining the claims under the Election Symbols Order.
For the Mamata-led faction, the immediate priority is to contest the October 6 elections under an alternative identity while challenging the interim order.
The larger question of which group can use the All India Trinamool Congress name and the Flowers and Grass symbol will be determined through the Commission’s substantive proceedings.
For now, the Election Commission’s interim arrangement has created an unusual electoral situation in West Bengal, with rival factions of a party that has used the same name and symbol for decades preparing to contest bypolls under separate identities.