Mamata seeks urgent Supreme Court hearing on freeze of TMC name, symbol

• Mamata Banerjee has sought an urgent Supreme Court hearing against the Election Commission’s decision to freeze the TMC’s name and election symbol

• The poll panel assigned temporary names and symbols to the two rival factions for the 6 October assembly by-elections in West Bengal

• The dispute also involves 20 rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs whose disqualification proceedings are pending

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday sought an urgent hearing in the Supreme Court on her challenge to the Election Commission of India’s interim decision freezing the party’s name and reserved election symbol.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, arguing that the poll panel had frozen the TMC’s symbol after issuing the notification for the upcoming by-elections.

“They issue a by-poll notification and in the middle of notification, they freeze the symbol. We want urgent listing,” Sibal submitted on Banerjee’s behalf.

The chief justice observed that the rival faction would also have to be heard and assured Sibal that the request would be considered.

“Both sides will have something to say. When the matter is listed, then argue. We will try to list,” CJI Kant said.

Banerjee’s petition challenges the ECI’s decision to temporarily bar both factions from using the name “All India Trinamool Congress” and its reserved “Flowers and Grass” symbol.

The Commission issued the interim order on Thursday after concluding that two rival groups were claiming to represent the recognised political party. It said the dispute required a detailed determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

Pending a final decision, the ECI allotted provisional names and symbols to both camps for the 6 October by-elections in West Bengal, including the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies.

Banerjee’s faction was given the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the symbol of a football player. The rival group received the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and an envelope as its symbol.

The Mamata-led camp has refused to accept the interim arrangement. The rival faction, headed by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, has claimed control of the party’s organisational and legislative structures.

The internal conflict has also reached Parliament, where 20 rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs broke away and aligned with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. They have sought recognition as a separate parliamentary group.

The Banerjee-led faction has separately questioned Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s delay in deciding its disqualification petitions against the rebel MPs under the anti-defection law.

On 25 August, the Supreme Court issued notices to the 20 MPs on a petition filed by TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee but refrained from issuing notice to the Speaker.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Speaker, told the court that notices had already been served on the MPs in the disqualification proceedings. The court subsequently sought responses from them.

The TMC maintains that the MPs were elected on its symbol and became liable for action under the anti-defection law after joining another political formation. The rebel camp, however, claims the support of more than two-thirds of the party’s Lok Sabha members.

The ECI has said its temporary arrangement is intended to place both factions on an equal footing and safeguard their respective interests until the dispute over the party’s organisational control is finally decided.

With IANS inputs