TMC Split: ECI Freezes Original Name and Symbol

The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), popularly known as the Trinamool Congress (TMC), is facing an internal dispute between two factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy.

Following the West Bengal Assembly elections held in April 2026, All India Trinamool Congress faced a major setback. 58 of the 80 TMC MLAs and 20 Lok Sabha MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar broke away and claimed a separate identity, with both factions claiming to be the original party. The matter was referred to the Election Commission of India (ECI), which temporarily froze the use of the party’s original name, “All India Trinamool Congress,” and its traditional “Flowers and Grass” election symbol.

This is an interim arrangement to prevent confusion during elections, while the ECI determines which faction is legally entitled to the original party name and symbol.

Two Rival Factions -

The ECI has provided separate temporary identities to the two groups:

Both factions have been permitted to function as recognised State political parties in West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura under this interim arrangement.

Why Did the ECI Freeze the Original Symbol?

The main issue before the ECI is which faction represents the original TMC and should therefore be entitled to use its established name and election symbol.

Since both sides claimed the original party identity, allowing both to use “All India Trinamool Congress” and “Flowers and Grass” could create confusion among voters and complications in the nomination process. The ECI therefore decided to keep the original identity frozen temporarily and provide separate names and symbols to the rival groups.

Legal Basis: Election Symbols Order, 1968

The dispute relates to Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. This provision empowers the ECI to determine disputes between rival groups claiming to be the same recognised political party and decide which group is entitled to the party’s reserved symbol.

In the present case, however, the ECI has not finally decided which faction owns the original TMC identity. The present allocation is specifically an interim arrangement while the substantive dispute is considered further.

Why Is This Important?

The issue is significant because an election symbol is an important part of a recognised political party’s electoral identity. The ECI’s interim arrangement ensures that the two rival groups can participate in the elections without simultaneously claiming the same name and symbol.

The arrangement also protects the electoral process from confusion regarding the identity of candidates belonging to the rival factions. The ECI’s September 18 order came ahead of the October 6 West Bengal by-elections, including contests in Nandigram and Rejinagar.

Another Example -

Over the dispute of the party name and symbol of Shiv Sena (a State Party in Maharashtra) after its split under two factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Ek Nath Shinde, the matter was decided by the Election Commission of India. ECI ruled party name Shiv Sena and election symbol (Bow and Arrow) in favour of the Shiv Sena faction led by Ek Nath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray fraction was given the name Shiv Sena (Udhhav Bal Thackeray) i.e. Shiv Sena (UBT) and allotted the symbol Mashaal (Burning Torch)