Kolkata: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to stop her faction from using the original All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) party name and its traditional ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol amid an ongoing leadership dispute within the party.
The development comes amid a dramatic political escalation ahead of the October 6 by-elections, with three interconnected developments - the ECI's interim freezing of the Trinamool Congress' traditional name and symbol, the withdrawal of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction's Nandigram candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey, and the subsequent arrest of Congress nominee Milan Pradhan in an old murder case - bringing the ruling side and Opposition into a fresh confrontation.
Banerjee led the Opposition's attack, questioning the timing of Pradhan's arrest and linking it to her faction's decision to support the Congress candidate in Nandigram.
"Minutes after we extended our support to the Congress candidate for the bypoll in Nandigram, the Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested. The timing raises serious questions and is the usual BJP formula: dig out an old case. But why now? Just after we announced support to the Congress!" Banerjee said in a post on X.
She alleged that the development reflected what she described as a pattern of "vendetta and atrocities", adding, "With manipulation, with vote loot, with intimidation, the Election Agency-BJP partnership is killing democracy every day."
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The political storm comes a day after the Election Commission issued an interim order barring both rival TMC factions from using the party's original name, "All India Trinamool Congress", and its traditional "Flowers and Grass" or "Jora Phool" symbol, pending a final determination of the organisational dispute.
The Commission subsequently allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" and the "Football Player" symbol, while the rival faction led by Arup Roy was allotted the name "Democratic Trinamool Congress" and the "Envelope" symbol. The interim arrangement applies to the upcoming bypolls.
The ECI had earlier directed both sides to submit alternative names and symbols so that candidates' nominations for the upcoming elections were not rejected because of the dispute over the party's identity.
Reacting to the order, Banerjee called it a "black day" in India's democratic history and said she did not disrespect the constitutional institution but disagreed with its decision.
"They had said beforehand, 'naam bhi rakhne doonga, nishaan bhi nahi rakhne doonga'. Who are these people? They are in power today; they might not be in power tomorrow. They should understand their limitations," she said.
Banerjee also asserted that she could not leave the TMC.
"They do not know that I cannot leave All India Trinamool Congress. It will always be with me until I leave this world. Absolutely dirty game, but we are also ready to fight it out," she said, while calling for solidarity within the INDIA bloc.
Meanwhile, Akhruzzaman, representing the rival faction and chief whip in Assembly, rejected Banerjee's position and claimed that his group was the "original Trinamool Congress".
"We are the original Trinamool Congress. We are the All India Trinamool Congress. We are the real owners. This is because the majority of MLAs, the vast majority of three-tier panchayat members, and the people who built the Trinamool Congress's leadership across the state — over 80 per cent of them — stayed with us," Akhruzzaman said.
He said the interim order was not permanent and expressed confidence that his faction would eventually retain the original name and symbol.
"We've asked the Election Commission to let us keep our Trinamool Congress and the Trinamool Congress's 'Jora Phool' on the grass. Today, since this is an interim order, we're confident, and we hope the 'Jora Phool' on the grass will stay with us, and the All India Trinamool Congress will stay with us. It's just a matter of time - wait and see," he said.
Akhruzzaman also attacked Banerjee over her decision to support the Congress in Nandigram, alleging that the move would ultimately benefit the BJP.
"If she really wants to fight against the BJP, then support our candidate in Nandigram," he said.
He further questioned Banerjee's earlier claims regarding corruption among ministers, saying that if "90 per cent" of her ministers were corrupt, she had to answer for it as Chief Minister.
Congress leaders also attacked the Election Commission's interim arrangement.
West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said the party believed that the poll panel had a responsibility to act impartially.
