Who owns the twin flowers? TMC symbol war leaves Bengal by-polls in limbo

• The Election Commission heard both the Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee factions on the TMC’s name and ‘jora ghash phool’ symbol but did not announce a decision.

• Both factions have fielded candidates in the Nandigram and Rejinagar by-elections while claiming the TMC identity, leaving their electoral status uncertain.

• With the nomination withdrawal deadline on 19 September and polling on 6 October, the EC faces a tight window to resolve the symbol dispute.

The battle over the Trinamool Congress' (TMC) ‘jora ghash phool’ — twin flowers on grass — symbol entered a crucial phase on Thursday, 17 September, but the Election Commission of India (ECI) stopped short of announcing a decision.

With nominations already filed for the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly by-elections and scrutiny under way, the continuing uncertainty has left candidates, election officials and party workers waiting for clarity.

The Commission heard representatives of both rival TMC factions in New Delhi on Thursday, with the Ritabrata Banerjee-led group appearing first, followed by representatives of the Mamata Banerjee-led Kalighat faction. Both sides submitted documents and arguments supporting their claims to the party name, organisational control and reserved symbol.

The timing is critical. The last date for filing nominations was 16 September, while scrutiny began on Thursday. Yet the central question — which faction is entitled to use the TMC name and its reserved symbol — remains unresolved.

Ritabrata Banerjee emerged from the hearing expressing confidence that his faction would retain the symbol. He said his group had submitted all documents sought by the Commission and wanted an early decision ahead of the bypolls. “We are 100 per cent optimistic,” Banerjee said after the proceedings, according to reports.

The Mamata-led faction remains equally firm, arguing that the existing organisational structure of the TMC remains valid and that the breakaway group cannot claim the party's identity merely on the basis of its assertion of legislative support.

Senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee has also opposed any suggestion that the Commission could freeze the symbol while the dispute continues. He argued that there was no justification for taking the established symbol away from the existing party organisation through an interim arrangement.

“The ‘jora phool’ symbol remains with Mamata Banerjee's faction and an interim order would create unnecessary confusion just when the electoral process is under way,” he said.

TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh, meanwhile, sought to shift the focus beyond the symbol. “We strongly believe that Mamata Banerjee is bigger than the symbol,” he said, adding that voters would support her regardless of which symbol she contested under. Ghosh also alleged that the ECI was being directed by the BJP.

The immediate impact is being felt in Nandigram and Rejinagar, where both factions have fielded candidates while claiming the TMC identity. The Mamata-led faction has fielded Sanchita Pradhan Dey in Nandigram and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury in Rejinagar. The Ritabrata camp has nominated Mohammad Ehteshamul Haque in Nandigram and Safiuzzaman Sheikh in Rejinagar.

The possibility of rival candidates claiming the same party name and symbol has added another layer of uncertainty to the by-polls. If the Commission does not allot the symbol to either faction pending a final resolution of the larger dispute, both could be required to contest under separate temporary names and symbols.

The issue is particularly pressing because the 6 October by-polls are approaching and the deadline for withdrawal of nominations is 19 September. The Commission's decision could therefore determine not only which candidates appear on the ballot, but also which faction gets to present itself to voters as the TMC.

For now, however, the only certainty is that both camps remain in the contest — and the clock is ticking.