Football vs Envelope: Mamata Banerjee's Party, Rebels Get New Name, Symbol

The Election Commission on Friday allotted separate names and electoral symbols to the rival factions of the Trinamool Congress, allowing the groups led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy to contest elections under new identities ahead of the October 6 Bengal bypolls. The votes will be counted on October 9.   

The group led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name "Democratic Trinamool Congress" and the "Envelope" symbol, while the faction led by Mamata Banerjee has been allotted the name "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" and the "Football Player" symbol. 

Both groups will be treated as recognised political parties in the three states of Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura, the poll body said in its Friday order.

The decision follows the poll body's interim order on Thursday, which froze the "All India Trinamool Congress" name and the "Flowers & Grass" symbol amid an internal dispute over control of the party. 

Neither faction will be permitted to use the original party name or symbol in the upcoming bypolls, including those in Nandigram and Rejinagar, scheduled for October 6, the poll body said.

The Nandigram bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari gave up the seat and chose to retain Bhabanipur, where he defeated TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in the Assembly elections held earlier this year.

The Rejinagar seat fell vacant following the resignation of Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) founder Humayun Kabir, who had also secured victory from Nowda.

The latest order also addresses nominations filed in the ongoing elections. 

"Candidates authorised by the two factions in Rejinagar, Nandigram and Nagaon will be considered under their respective newly allotted party names and symbols, subject to fulfilment of statutory requirements under Section 36 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This allocation is temporary, and will be in effect until the ECI pens it's final order," the poll body said.

The dispute centres on competing claims over the party's organisational authority, the validity of its National Working Committee and the appointment of office-bearers. 

The Arup Roy-led faction, backed by the group associated with Ritabrata Banerjee, has questioned the continuation of the existing National Working Committee, arguing that its tenure expired on February 11, 2025.

The Mamata Banerjee faction has challenged the validity of the process, arguing that the rival group's claims and the election of office-bearers are contrary to the party constitution. Its submissions, including those made by MP Derek O'Brien, maintain that amendments to the party constitution extended the tenure of the National Working Committee and other organisational bodies from three years to five years. 

The rival faction has disputed the validity of those amendments.

The Commission's Thursday order stated that a substantive determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order, 1968, would be required to establish which group represents the recognised political party. 

Pending that decision, both factions were directed to submit three preferred names and free symbols each.