In a historic shift for West Bengal’s political landscape, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued an interim order freezing the original “All India Trinamool Congress” party name and its iconic “flowers and grass” (Jora Ghas Phul) symbol. The directive follows a severe internal rift within the party, assigning temporary names and symbols to both competing camps for upcoming assembly bypolls.
The ECI granted the group led by founder Mamata Banerjee the interim title “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” alongside the “Football Player” symbol. The rival camp, headed by Arup Roy and legislative leader Ritabrata Banerjee, was designated as “Democratic Trinamool Congress” with an “Envelope” symbol.
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| Faction | Interim Party Name | Allotted Symbol | Core Political Argument |
| Mamata Banerjee Camp | Mamata All India Trinamool Congress | Football Player | Historical legacy, founder authority, and widespread public support. |
| Rebel / Arup Roy Camp | Democratic Trinamool Congress | Envelope | Majority legislative support and demand for internal party democracy. |
The conflict intensified following the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, where the TMC’s tally fell to 80 seats. Soon after, 58 MLAs chose Ritabrata Banerjee as their legislature leader, while 20 Lok Sabha MPs aligned with the NDA.
The legal process follows recent precedents established during the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) splits in Maharashtra. Under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, the ECI will evaluate both legislative strength and organizational structure to determine which group holds the legitimate right to the permanent party identity.
While the rebel group emphasizes its “Democratic” label as a move away from single-leader control, Mamata’s faction relies on her individual brand and the cultural appeal of football—a symbol that echoes her well-known “Khela Hobe” campaign theme.
In a unexpected strategic move, the Mamata faction’s candidate for the Nandigram bypoll, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew her nomination shortly after meeting BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata Banerjee later announced that her party will support the Congress candidate in Nandigram to reinforce the INDIA bloc, making the October 6 bypolls a major test of how voters navigate these updated political identities.
An analysis of how symbol disputes and party splits are handled under Indian electoral law can be found in this coverage: ECI Decision on TMC Name and Symbol Dispute.
