TMC symbol row: Mamata faction gets 'footballer'; rival group 'envelope'

The two rival Trinamool Congress (TMC) factions have finally been allotted separate names and election symbols, ending weeks of dispute ahead of the October 6 bypolls.

The Election Commission (EC) has allotted the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ to the faction led by Mamata Banerjee, while the rival group headed by Arup Roy will be known as ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’.

According to the Election Commission order, the Mamata faction has been allotted ‘Football Player’ as its election symbol, while Roy’s faction will contest with ‘Envelope’ as its poll emblem.

Also read: EC freezes TMC name, symbol for bypolls; rival factions told to pick new identities

Assembly bypolls to Nandigram in East Medinipur district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district are scheduled for October 6, with vote counting on October 9.

EC’s order

In an interim order issued on Thursday (September 17) night, the EC directed the two sides, not to use the party name and its ‘Jora Ghash Phul’ (two flowers with grass) symbol for the upcoming bypolls, and asked them to submit their preferred names and emblems by Friday morning.

The EC said the proposed names could be similar to AITC, while the symbols must be chosen from a list of free or available symbols notified for Independents and registered unrecognised political parties.

Symbols order

The poll panel said the time available was not enough to complete the proceedings under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, but noted the urgency for party name and symbol for the by-elections.

The EC said the interim arrangement was made specifically to cover the upcoming bypolls and would remain in force until the dispute is finally determined under Paragraph 15 of the Symbols Order.

Also read: TMC split and fight for symbol: Who gets the twin flowers?

The EC order comes against the backdrop of a rebellion in the TMC legislature party after the Assembly poll defeat in May, which later spread to Parliament.

Internal rift

In June, 58 rebel MLAs elected expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of opposition in Bengal Assembly instead of the Mamata camp nominee, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, and secured recognition from the Speaker, marking the party's first split in its 28-year history.

Five days later, the revolt reached Parliament, with 20 Lok Sabha MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar joining the little-known NCPI and writing to Speaker Om Birla backing the BJP-led NDA as a “separate bloc”, deepening the rupture in the party's parliamentary ranks.

TMC’s symbol

The move is a setback for Mamata, whose hand-drawn symbol has been central to TMC's journey since its formation in 1998 after breaking away from the Congress.

The symbol became a potent expression of the party's grassroots identity for the last 28 years.

Also read: Symbol and funds: Mamata faces dual challenges, in EC and HC

The bypolls were necessitated as Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari won from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur, and chose to vacate Nandigram, while AJUP leader Humayun Kabir won from both Naoda and Rejinagar, and decided to give up the Rejinagar seat.