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Mamata-led Trinamool faction gets new name, symbol ahead of by-polls
Agencies
Published: 21 Sep 2026, 09:24 PM
The Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted a new set of
party names and symbols to the two rival factions of Trinamool Congress led by
Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy on Monday, a day after it temporarily froze the
party’s “flowers and grass” symbol in view of the internal split.
ECI approved the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress”
for the group led by Mamata and allotted it the “football player” poll symbol.
The rival faction led by Arup was allotted the name
“Democratic Trinamool Congress” and “envelope” poll symbol.
The Mamata-led faction asked its leaders and elected representatives to publicise their new symbol, as the group races to build a new electoral identity after losing, for now, its familiar name and “flowers-and-grass” symbol.
The new symbol places the football player at its centre,
surrounded by the words “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” in white against
a blue background. Saffron, white and green have also been incorporated into
the design.
The election commission, in its order issued Friday, said it
shall treat both the factions as recognised political parties in the states of
West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura.
The new party names and symbols for Trinamool factions paved
the way for their respective candidates to contest the crucial 6 October
bypolls to Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly seats in West Bengal as well as
Nagaon parliamentary seat in Assam.
In Rejinagar, the Mamata faction had fielded Rabiul Alam
Chodhury, and the Arup faction had fielded Saifuzzaman Sheikh as their
candidates.
Similarly, in Nandigram, the Mamata faction authorised
Sanchita Pradhan, while the Arup faction signed the nomination papers for
Ehteshmul Haque.
In Nagaon, the Mamata faction fielded Abdul Salam as
candidate.
The ECI on Friday said that unless it intervenes, the
returning officers would be bound to reject the nomination papers of candidates
fielded by both factions, in view of the interim freeze on the main party’s
reserved symbol.
This, they said, would "deprive the electors of a fair
electoral competition and prejudice the outcome of elections".