Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool faction will fight under a new name and symbol after the Election Commission allotted it the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘Football Player’ symbol. The Arup Roy-led rival group has been named ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and given the ‘Envelope’ symbol amid the continuing battle over the original TMC identity.
The Commission said on September 17 that there were two rival groups in the party and that each was claiming to be the All India Trinamool Congress. It said the dispute required a final decision under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. Mamata Banerjee founded the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after leaving the Congress. Earlier reporting noted: The Election Commission on Friday allotted separate names and electoral symbols to the rival factions of the Trinamool Congress, allowing the groups led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy to contest elections under new identities ahead of the October 6 Bengal bypolls. The votes will be counted on October 9.
Earlier reporting noted: Football vs Envelope: Mamata Banerjee’s Party, Rebels Get New Name, Symbol Football vs Envelope: Mamata Banerjee’s Party, Rebels Get New Name, Symbol Football vs Envelope: Mamata Banerjee’s Party, Rebels Get New Name, Symbol Earlier reporting noted: The group led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “Envelope” symbol, while the faction led by Mamata Banerjee has been allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the “Football Player” symbol. The group led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “Envelope” symbol, while the faction led by Mamata Banerjee has been allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the “Football Player” symbol. The Election Commission has allotted Mamata Banerjee’s group the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the election symbol ‘Football Player’. The Mamata-led group will be treated as a recognised political party in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura under its allotted identity. The rival group led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’. Its election symbol will be an ‘Envelope’. The new identities follow the Election Commission’s interim order freezing the All India Trinamool Congress name and its reserved ‘Flowers & Grass’ symbol. The dispute began after rival groups claimed to represent the recognised Trinamool Congress. One group is led by party founder and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The other is led by Arup Roy, with Ritabrata Banerjee among its main leaders. The Flowers & Grass symbol later became closely associated with her party in West Bengal.
The arrangement will apply as the dispute over control of the original All India Trinamool Congress remains before the poll body.
