Mamata Banerjee loses Trinamool symbol for now: What will voters see on October 6 bypoll?

The Election Commission has temporarily frozen the Trinamool Congress name and Flowers & Grass symbol amid a dispute between rival factions. Here is what the order means for Mamata Banerjee, the rival camp and the October 6 Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls.

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress faction will enter the coming West Bengal bypolls without the party's familiar name and Flowers & Grass symbol after the Election Commission temporarily froze both. The rival camp faces the same restriction. With voting in Nandigram and Rejinagar on October 6, both sides must now fight under separate names and new election symbols.

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Why did the Election Commission freeze the Trinamool symbol?

The Election Commission issued its interim order on Thursday as the fight over the Trinamool Congress moved from party leadership to control of its electoral identity.

Both rival groups claim to represent the recognised All India Trinamool Congress. One camp is led by party founder and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while the rival group is associated with Ritabrata Banerjee and Arup Roy.

With the dispute unresolved and two Assembly bypolls approaching, the Commission barred both sides from using the name All India Trinamool Congress and its reserved Flowers & Grass symbol until further orders.

The ECI said the temporary arrangement was meant to put the rival groups on an equal footing while it considers their competing claims.

What happens to Mamata Banerjee's faction now?

The immediate effect is simple. Candidates backed by Mamata Banerjee's camp cannot contest the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls using the party's established name and symbol.

Her faction submitted three preferred names and three symbol choices to the Election Commission late on Thursday. The submission was made under protest, according to reports.

The rival faction also submitted its choices on Friday morning. Leaders from both sides have not disclosed which names or symbols they have sought and said they would wait for the Commission's decision.

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Will voters still see the Trinamool name on the ballot?

Not in its existing form. Neither faction can simply appear as the All India Trinamool Congress while the interim order remains in force.

The Election Commission has, however, allowed the rival groups to propose names that retain a link to their parent party. The final temporary names will depend on what the Commission approves.

The two camps will also receive different election symbols from the free symbols available for the bypolls. That means each side will have to tell voters which new name and symbol represents its candidates before polling day.

Why are Nandigram and Rejinagar important in the Trinamool fight?

The timing leaves little room for either faction to establish its temporary electoral identity. Voting in Nandigram and Rejinagar is scheduled for October 6, and counting will take place on October 9.

The dispute is therefore no longer limited to who controls the party organisation. Voters in the two constituencies will see rival factions seeking support without either side having exclusive use of the Trinamool identity that has appeared on West Bengal ballots for years.

Who will eventually get the original Trinamool name and symbol?

The answer is not clear yet. The Election Commission is dealing with the dispute under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. The rule applies when rival groups of a recognised political party each claim to be the party.

Under Paragraph 15, the Commission can examine the facts and circumstances, hear the rival sides and decide that one group, or neither group, should be recognised as the political party.

The present order is temporary. It does not award the Trinamool name or the Flowers & Grass symbol to either faction.

How has Mamata Banerjee's camp reacted?

Mamata Banerjee's faction has opposed the decision. Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee called the order unconstitutional but said the group would comply with what was required for the time being.

"... We are not accepting this order. Just as illegal things have to be accepted temporarily, this too has to be accepted," he said.

The faction's decision to submit alternative names and symbols means its candidates can proceed with preparations for the bypolls while the larger dispute continues.

What has Ritabrata Banerjee said?

Ritabrata Banerjee welcomed the interim decision and used it to attack the idea that control of a political party could pass through a family.

"This narrative that was going on regarding the symbol and the name, the Election Commission's interim order today, proves that there is no room for dynastic politics. A political party is not a private limited company, nor can there be an heir to a political party. This has been proven today," he said.

Why the Flowers & Grass symbol matters to Trinamool

Mamata Banerjee formed the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after leaving the Congress. The Flowers & Grass symbol became closely identified with the party during its rise in West Bengal and its victory over the Left Front in 2011.

That familiar symbol will now be absent from the ballot in the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls while the Election Commission considers the rival claims.

The next immediate decision will be the Commission's allotment of separate temporary names and symbols to the two camps. The larger question of who can claim the original Trinamool identity remains open.

ECI assigns new name and symbol

To ensure both factions can contest the upcoming Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls, the poll body has assigned completely new identities to both camps.

What Voters Will See on the Ballot

Here is exactly what voters will see on the ballot sheet when they go to vote:

• Mamata Banerjee’s camp: Allotted the new party name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and will fight under the Football Player symbol.
• The Arup Roy rival camp: Allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and will use the Envelope symbol.

Interim Arrangement Only for October 6 Bypolls

The EC has clarified that this arrangement is interim and applies only to the October 6 by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar. Both factions are barred from using the original party name “All India Trinamool Congress” and the reserved “Flowers & Grass” symbol until the leadership dispute is finally resolved under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

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