The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reserved the Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) election symbol, “Flowers & Grass,” as tensions rise between competing factions within the party. This decision comes during an ongoing dispute that has led to significant divisions among TMC members.
EC announced on Monday that bypolls to Murshidabad district’s Rejinargar and East Midnapore’s Nandigram will be held on October 6 and the results would be announced on October 9. The nominations were filed between September 9 and 16.
Mamata faction wasn’t in favour of interim order
Ritabrata leads the group of around 60 of the 80 newly elected TMC MLAs who left Mamata Banerjee faction after the party’s defeat to the BJP in the state polls held in April.
The poll body said that, pending a final determination on the matter, neither the faction led by Mamata Banerjee nor the group led by Ritabrata Banerjee will be allowed to use the party name or the reserved symbol as an interim measure for the upcoming by-elections. In an interim order released on Thursday, the ECI said the decision was aimed at placing both groups on an “even keel” and protecting their rights and interests. The order will remain in force until the final determination of the dispute, said the poll body. Both factions have staked a claim to being the “real” Trinamool Congress and had approached the national poll body seeking recognition as the party’s legitimate leadership. The report said that EC separately heard both the factions over the dispute concerning the party’s organisational control. Kalyan Banerjee, from Mamata factio, reportedly said the party has opposed any interim order, maintaining that there is no basis for such a direction.
