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Mamata Banerjee losing TMC? Election Commission freezes Trinamool Congress name and party symbol
The Election Commission has frozen the name and symbol of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. Meetings with 'Kalighat Trinamool' and 'Ritobroto Trinamool' resulted in an interim order.
The Election Commission has frozen Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress name and party symbol. Separate meetings were held today with the "Kalighat Trinamool" and "Ritobroto Trinamool". Following these, an interim order was issued tonight, Anandabazar Online has reported.
It has been clearly stated that, for now, the name of the All India Trinamool Congress party and its twin-flower symbol have been frozen, the publication added.
By-elections are coming up soon in Nandigram and Rejinagar. For these, both camps will have to choose from among the Election Commission's "free symbols".
After leaving the Congress, Mamata formed her own new party in 1998. She built the Trinamool with her own hands. It is also known that the party's symbol was drawn by Banerjee herself. Now, for the time being, the former Bengal CM has lost control of even the party's name and symbol.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee earlier raised sharp questions during the EC hearing. He challenged the rival faction's claim about the party's existence.
According to him, they say TMC ceased to exist in 2025. But the same group got recognised as a legislative bloc in 2026. Banerjee called this claim contradictory and confusing.
Speaking to ANI, he explained the timeline in detail. The hearing lasted nearly 90 minutes. He said Mamata Banerjee had issued the party symbol earlier. The rival group approached the Speaker on 3 June.
They claimed to be the AITC's official bloc that day. This meant they had accepted TMC's existence until then. Suddenly, on 22 June, they denied TMC had even existed.
Banerjee also made a personal allegation in this matter. He claimed Ritobroto Banerjee was behind the entire dispute. This happened after Ritobroto had missed the opposition leader's post.
“You can't approve it and disapprove it. What is the malice in this party? The malice of Ritabrata Banerjee is that since he has not been chosen as the opposition leader, he has played the entire game. And this is the gentleman who joined the party in 2023. He was not the party's original man. He is trying to take away the party,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, Samik Bhattacharya has also commented on the said dispute. According to the West Bengal BJP president, the matter was not about the party's symbol. It was rather about who would control its bank accounts.
"There is no party called Trinamool in India anymore. The fight isn't about their symbol; it’s a battle to seize control of the dozen or so bank accounts they hold. There is no political party called Trinamool anymore. It is truly unfortunate that a state like West Bengal has no opposition. We are trying to figure out who the opposition actually is," ANI quoted him as saying.
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