Supreme Court Extends Pleadings Deadline in Trinamool Congress Name and Symbol Dispute

The court gave the faction led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee another 10 days to respond to the rival group’s affidavit.

The dispute centres on competing claims over control of the party’s organisational and legislative structures, with both factions seeking recognition from the poll panel.

The latest directions followed a request by the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction for a two-week extension, as the deadline for submitting its response was due to expire on Monday. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction opposed the request.

Supreme Court Had Set Four-Week Deadline

In an order dated September 28, the Supreme Court had directed the parties to complete their pleadings within four weeks. It had also instructed the ECI to decide the dispute within three months after the pleadings were completed.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued the earlier directions while hearing a petition filed by Mamata Banerjee challenging the ECI’s interim order freezing the party’s established name and reserved “Flowers and Grass” election symbol.

The court had noted that the response filed by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction was already on record, while the rival group’s reply was still awaited.

It had directed both sides to submit any additional documents, affidavits and counter-affidavits within the prescribed period and cooperate with the ECI in resolving the dispute.

ECI’s Interim Decision Under Challenge

Mamata Banerjee approached the Supreme Court seeking to quash the ECI’s interim order, which froze the party’s existing name and symbol pending a final decision on the rival claims.

The dispute is being examined under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, which deals with disputes between rival sections of a recognised political party.

The ECI had said the interim arrangement was intended to place the competing factions on an equal footing and safeguard their respective interests until the dispute could be resolved.

Following the interim decision, the commission allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the “football player” symbol to the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. The rival group led by Ritabrata Banerjee was allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “envelope” symbol for the West Bengal by-elections.

The Supreme Court had clarified that it had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the dispute, leaving both factions free to present their arguments before the poll panel.

Dispute Also Affects Parliamentary Representation

The conflict has extended to Parliament, where 20 rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members broke away and aligned themselves with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary group.

The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has maintained that the MPs were elected on the Trinamool Congress symbol and argued that their subsequent alignment with another political formation raises questions under the anti-defection law.

The rival camp has claimed the support of more than two-thirds of the party’s Lok Sabha MPs and sought recognition as a separate parliamentary group.

The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has also challenged delays in deciding disqualification petitions filed against the rebel MPs.

The Supreme Court’s latest directions extend the time available to the factions to complete their pleadings. The final decision on the competing claims to the party’s name and election symbol remains pending before the Election Commission.