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 Election Commission has allotted Mamata Banerjee’s group the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the election symbol ‘Football Player’. 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. Mamata Banerjee’s faction proposed ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ among its preferred names. It also sought a football-related symbol or a cricket bat. The Commission eventually allotted the group the Football Player symbol. The Arup Roy camp had proposed names including Democratic Trinamool Congress. Its preferred symbols included a blackboard, envelope and torch. The Commission allotted it the Envelope symbol.
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. 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: 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 arrangement will apply as the dispute over control of the original All India Trinamool Congress remains before the poll body.
