‘First Shiv Sena, then NCP, now Trinamool Congress’: Rahul Gandhi backs Mamata over party name and symbol freeze

In a post on X, Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ECI of following what he described as a repeated pattern of splitting opposition parties and then taking control of their election symbols.

“First Shiv Sena, then NCP, and now TMC,” Gandhi said, describing the developments as “party theft”.

Rahul Gandhi calls it ‘party theft’

Gandhi said the developments were part of what he described as a broader “democratic decline”, referring to “vote theft”, “government theft” and now “party theft”.

He alleged that the ECI was not fulfilling its constitutional responsibility of protecting the electoral mandate and instead was aiding forces seeking to overturn people’s verdicts.

“This fight isn't just Mamata Banerjee's. It's the fight of every political party, every voter who wants free and fair elections,” Gandhi said.

ECI freezes TMC name and symbol

The ECI on Thursday issued an interim order barring both rival factions of the TMC from using the party's name, All India Trinamool Congress, and its reserved “flowers and grass” symbol for the upcoming bypolls.

The dispute involves factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee, with both sides staking claim to the party's identity and symbol.

The Commission said the interim arrangement was intended to place both rival groups on an “even keel” while the dispute is considered further.

Factions asked to choose new names and symbols

The ECI has directed both groups to submit three preferred names and three free symbols by 11 am on September 18. The Commission will subsequently allot a name and symbol to each faction for the bypolls.

The arrangement applies to the October 6 bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar, where the rival factions will contest under separate names and symbols pending a final decision on the party's identity.