Mamata faction gets ‘Football Player’, rival TMC camp allotted ‘Envelope’
New identities will remain in place until poll panel decides which faction is entitled to the AITC name and its “Flowers and Grass” symbol
The Election Commission has allotted new names and symbols to the two rival Trinamool factions pending a final decision on the original party identity.
The Mamata Banerjee-led group will be known as the “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and use the “Football Player” symbol.
The Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction has received the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “Envelope” symbol.
The Election Commission of India on Friday allotted new names and election symbols to the two rival Trinamool Congress factions pending its final determination of their claims to the original party name and the “Flowers and Grass” symbol.
The faction led by former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee has been allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the “Football Player” election symbol.
The commission’s notification described the Mamata-led faction as the “original but minority” group. It has been recognised as a political party in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura.
The rival group led by expelled Trinamool legislator Ritabrata Banerjee has been named the “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and allotted the “Envelope” symbol.
The EC described Ritabrata Banerjee’s faction as the “rebel but majority” group. It has also received political party recognition in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura.
The newly allotted names and symbols will remain in force until the commission delivers its final decision on which faction is entitled to the All India Trinamool Congress name and its reserved “Flowers and Grass” symbol.
Until then, candidates belonging to the two groups will have to contest elections under their respective temporary identities.
The order will apply to the 6th October Assembly bypolls in Nandigram in East Midnapore district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district. Votes will be counted on 9th October.
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction’s candidate in the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam will also contest under the “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” name and use the “Football Player” symbol.
The Election Commission had earlier temporarily barred both factions from using the AITC name and its established election symbol after concluding that the competing claims required detailed adjudication.
Mamata Banerjee established the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after breaking away from the Congress. Since its formation, the party has contested elections under the All India Trinamool Congress name and the “Flowers and Grass” symbol.
The party came to power in West Bengal in 2011 and has governed the state since then.
The upcoming bypolls will therefore be the first elections in West Bengal since 1998 in which the original Trinamool name and symbol will not appear on the ballot.
With IANS inputs