Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has lost her party name and symbol. A day after the Election Commission of India on Friday (September 18) suspended the name of the All India Trinamool Congress and its traditional 'flower and grass' symbol, it has allocated separate interim names and election symbols to the party's two rival factions. As a result, the political identity associated with the Trinamool Congress for nearly three decades has been temporarily dropped from the ballot for the upcoming West Bengal by-elections on October 6.

The Mamata Banerjee-led party has been given the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'football player' symbol. On the other hand, the Commission has allotted the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'envelope' symbol to the rebel party.

The Election Commission has specified that these symbols are temporary and will be applicable for the upcoming by-elections, as the dispute over control of the opposition party in West Bengal is still ongoing. The Commission said that the matter needs to be resolved under the existing law.

Following the defeat in the assembly elections in May, a rebellion broke out within the Trinamool Congress legislature party led by Ritabrata Banerjee, which later spread to Parliament and eventually led to the formation of a party name and symbol. The interim order of the commission came in the wake of this. Both groups were directed to submit three preferred names and three free symbols by 11 am on Friday. The commission later allotted these interim identities to them for the by-elections.

Mamata-led Trinamool Congress has strongly condemned the Election Commission's order to suspend the party's name and symbol as 'illegal' and 'contrary to the law'. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee rejected the order, saying, 'We are not accepting it'. Stating that the order has many legal weaknesses, he said that the information in the order has not been presented correctly. However, he also admitted that this arrangement may have to be accepted temporarily.

On the other hand, the rival party welcomed the Election Commission's stay order, although they wanted the 'flower and grass' symbol. The leader of the rival party, West Bengal Assembly Chief Whip and TMC MLA Akhruzzaman Ansari said, "We accept the EC's order." He said, "Of course, we wanted the old symbol." However, he expressed hope that after the final verdict, their party will get the party's "official and original name and symbol." For now, the rebel party will contest the by-elections under the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and with the 'envelope' symbol.

Following the defeat in the assembly elections, a power struggle began within the party's organisational and legislative structures. In June, 59 rebel MLAs elected expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition instead of the candidate nominated by Mamata's camp and secured the Speaker's recognition. This was the first split in the party's 28-year history.

Incidentally, the hand-drawn 'flower and grass' symbol of the Mamata Banerjee-led camp was at the heart of the Trinamool's political journey, formed after breaking away from the Congress in 1998. As Trinamool emerged as a major political force in West Bengal over the past 28 years, the symbol became a powerful expression of the party's grassroots identity and featured prominently on ballot papers, flags and campaign materials.

Source: India Today, The Indian Express, NDTV