New Delhi, Sept 19: Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s interim decision to freeze the All India Trinamool Congress name and its traditional ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol amid an internal dispute between rival factions.
The Election Commission’s September 17 interim order barred both factions from using the original party name and reserved symbol until the dispute over control of the party is substantively determined under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
Ahead of the upcoming West Bengal bypolls, the poll panel subsequently allotted separate names and symbols to the two groups. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction was given the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘Football Player’ symbol, while the rival faction was allotted the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘Envelope’ symbol.
Banerjee’s petition names the Election Commission and representatives of the rival faction as respondents. The plea challenges the interim arrangement and seeks relief against the freezing of the party’s original identity. The petition had been filed before the Supreme Court but was yet to be numbered and registered as of the latest reports.
Banerjee had earlier criticised the Election Commission’s decision and said she would pursue the matter through political, democratic and legal channels.
The dispute comes ahead of the October 6 Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The Election Commission’s interim arrangement allows the rival factions to contest the bypolls under their newly allotted names and symbols while the substantive dispute remains pending.
The Supreme Court challenge now puts the Election Commission’s interim order under judicial scrutiny, while the final determination over the original party name and election symbol remains pending.
