Mamata Banerjee Challenges Election Commissions Decision in Supreme Court Over TMC Symbol Freeze

New Delhi, September 18 (Daily Kiran) : West Bengal’s former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken her fight against the Election Commission’s decision to freeze the Trinamool Congress (TMC) name and its traditional ‘jora phool and ghas’ symbol to the Supreme Court. On Friday, she filed a petition challenging the Commission’s ruling and demanding its cancellation.

In her petition, Banerjee has named Ritabrata Banerjee and the Election Commission as respondents. The Commission issued an interim order preventing both rival factions within the TMC from using the party’s name and traditional symbol due to ongoing disputes. This order will remain in effect until a final decision is reached regarding the party’s internal conflict.

The Election Commission has assigned separate names and symbols to the factions. The group led by Mamata Banerjee will be known as ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and will use a ‘football player’ symbol, while the opposing faction has been designated as ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ with an ‘envelope’ symbol.

This dispute has emerged ahead of the upcoming by-elections on October 6 for the Nandigram and Rejingar assembly seats. As a result of the Commission’s interim order, both factions will be unable to use the TMC’s original name and symbol in these elections.

Banerjee has vehemently opposed the Election Commission’s decision, labeling it unconstitutional, illegal, and undemocratic. She emphasized that accepting a new name and symbol does not equate to conceding to the Commission’s directive, and she is prepared to fight this legal battle.

In a show of solidarity, Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has also backed Banerjee’s faction. He criticized the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging a pattern of similar treatment towards other political parties, including Shiv Sena and NCP. Gandhi described the issue as a threat to democratic institutions and questioned the Commission’s impartiality.

Earlier, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal had also condemned the Election Commission’s interim decision, accusing it of acting in favor of the BJP.