ECI begins hearing claims of rival TMC factions over party name, symbol

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday began hearing the dispute over the ownership of the TMC, with rival factions led by party supremo Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly Ritabrata Banerjee staking their respective claims to the party’s name, symbol and organisational control.The hearing was conducted by the full ECI bench comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi here at the India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM), officials said.Both factions appeared before the commission and presented their respective claims and documents, the officials said, while confirming that the two sides were heard, and the commission would decide its next course of action after assessing the submissions made by each of them.The dispute has been pending with the poll panel since July 2, after both camps approached the ECI following the TMC’s defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The Mamata-led faction filed its response within the stipulated deadline on July 6, while the Ritabrata camp sought two extensions to submit its reply.According to officials, the Ritabrata faction’s hearing began at 11 am and lasted for around 80 minutes. Its delegation included faction chairperson Arup Roy, chief whip Akhruzzman, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Riju Dutta.Speaking after the hearing, Ritabrata said the proceedings were “very fruitful”, adding that the commission had raised several queries which his faction answered. “We are hopeful because we are the TMC,” he said, while describing his faction as a democratic party that follows a proper documentation process.