EC temporarily freezes TMC's 'jora phool' symbol; allots separate symbols, names to Mamata, Ritabrata factions

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has allotted separate names and election symbols to the two rival factions of the Trinamool Congress amid an ongoing dispute over the party's organisational control and election identity.

The faction led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the football player symbol. The rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee has been allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the envelope symbol.

The development comes a day after the Election Commission temporarily froze the All India Trinamool Congress name and its traditional twin flowers on grass or jora phool election symbol for the upcoming bypolls.

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Election Commission freeze the TMC symbol

The poll panel's interim order followed competing claims from the two factions over the TMC's organisational identity. Both groups had submitted nomination-related documents claiming the party's name ahead of the upcoming elections.

The ECI said the temporary arrangement was intended to keep the rival groups on an equal footing while protecting their respective rights and interests until a final decision is taken on the dispute.

The commission has not yet issued a final ruling on which faction is entitled to use the original TMC name and the “Flowers and Grass” symbol.

New symbols

Under the temporary arrangement, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction will contest under the football player symbol, while the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction will use the envelope symbol.

The two groups were asked to submit three choices each for temporary party names and election symbols from the list of free symbols notified by the poll panel. The factions were also allowed to retain a reference to the parent party in their proposed names.

How did the TMC dispute begin?

The dispute emerged following an internal rebellion within the Trinamool Congress after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

Ritabrata Banerjee, a first-time MLA who was later expelled from the TMC, emerged as the face of the rebel group. The faction challenged the functioning of the party organisation and questioned the validity of decisions taken by the existing leadership.

The rebel camp subsequently claimed changes in the party's organisational structure, including the removal of Mamata Banerjee as chairperson. Mamata Banerjee's supporters rejected those claims and continued to recognise her as the party's leader.

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TMC symbol dispute comes ahead of October 6 bypolls

The Election Commission's interim arrangement comes ahead of the October 6 bypolls in West Bengal's Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies, as well as the Nagaon parliamentary constituency in Assam.

Both factions had sought to contest the elections while claiming the TMC identity. With the original party name and symbol temporarily unavailable to either side, candidates from the two groups will use the newly allotted identities for these polls.

The ECI's decision is temporary and will remain in place while the commission considers the competing claims to the party's organisational identity under the relevant provisions of the Election Symbols Order, 1968.