SC to urgently hear Mamata’s plea against EC freeze on TMC name, symbol

• SC agrees to urgently list Mamata Banerjee’s plea challenging the EC’s freeze on the TMC name and ‘Jora Ghash Phul’ symbol

• EC allots new names and symbols to rival TMC factions ahead of the 6 October Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls

• The dispute follows a TMC split after the May assembly polls, with rival factions claiming control of the party and the EC’s substantive proceedings still pending

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to urgently list former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s plea challenging the Election Commission’s interim decision to freeze the Trinamool Congress’ name and its ‘Jora Ghash Phul’ symbol amid a dispute between rival factions of the party.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the matter before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, seeking an urgent hearing.

“They issue a notification and in the middle of notification, they freeze the symbol. What is going on? We want urgent listing,” Sibal submitted.

The EC had on 17 September ordered an interim freeze on the ‘All India Trinamool Congress’ name and its reserved symbol, saying the dispute between the rival groups required a substantive determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

The poll panel subsequently allotted alternative names and symbols to the two factions for the 6 October assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The faction led by Banerjee was allotted the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘Football Player’ symbol, while the rival faction led by Arup Roy was given the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘Envelope’ symbol.

Banerjee has challenged the EC’s decision in the Supreme Court, naming the poll panel and West Bengal Assembly leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee as respondents.

The dispute follows a split in the TMC after its defeat in the May assembly elections. In June, 58 rebel MLAs elected Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of Opposition instead of the Mamata camp’s nominee, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, with the Speaker subsequently recognising him.

The rebellion later extended to Parliament, with 20 Lok Sabha MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar joining the little-known NCPI and writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, backing the BJP-led NDA as a separate bloc.

The Election Commission’s interim order said there were rival groups each claiming to represent the All India Trinamool Congress and that the matter required a substantive determination under Paragraph 15 of the 1968 Symbols Order.

Banerjee had criticised the EC’s decision after the freeze, describing it as a “black day” for democracy and comparing the loss of the party’s name and symbol to the pain of a mother losing her child. She has said she would continue the fight politically, democratically and legally to reclaim the TMC’s original identity and symbol.

The freeze was imposed ahead of the 6 October bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar, where both factions will contest under their newly allotted identities.

The TMC symbol dispute is now before the Supreme Court even as the EC’s substantive proceedings over the competing claims remain pending.

With PTI inputs