Supreme Court grants TMC factions 20 more days in name-symbol dispute

The Supreme Court gave the rival Trinamool factions sequential deadlines to complete their Election Commission filings. The extension preserves both sides' opportunity to present evidence before a final ruling.Newdelhi,Oct 26, 2026 17:14 ISTThe Supreme Court has granted 20 more days to the two rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress to complete their submissions before the Election Commission in a dispute over the party's name and its "flowers and grass" election symbol, news agency Press Trust of India reported.A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana passed the order after hearing senior lawyer and MP Kalyan Banerjee, representing the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, and senior advocate K Parmeswar, appearing for the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction.At the outset, Kalyan Banerjee said the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction, which had been allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress, had not filed the required submissions before the Election Commission.Parmeswar said the faction could not obtain non-judicial stamp papers needed to file certain documents before the poll panel because of Dussehra festivities in the state. He sought more time to complete the process. The bench granted the Democratic Trinamool Congress 10 days to file its counter affidavit and other documents before the Election Commission. It gave the Mamata Banerjee-led faction another 10 days to file a rejoinder and other relevant documents after receiving the rival group's response.The court clarified that both parties would be free to question the admissibility of documents filed before the poll panel in support of their respective claims. On September 28, the bench had directed the Election Commission to decide the dispute over the party name and the "flowers and grass" symbol within four months. Earlier, it had asked the factions to complete their submissions and directed the poll panel to decide the matter within three months after that process was completed.The orders were passed during the hearing of a petition filed by former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee against the Election Commission's decision to freeze the TMC's name and symbol. On September 24, the Supreme Court had asked the poll panel to state how much time it would need to decide the dispute.According to PTI, the Election Commission on September 17 allotted separate names and symbols to the two factions after temporarily barring both from using the All India Trinamool Congress name and its reserved symbol until the dispute was finally decided. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction was allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the "football player" symbol. The Ritabrata Banerjee-led group received the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the "envelope" symbol.Assembly bypolls to Nandigram in East Medinipur district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district of West Bengal were scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9.In its interim order, the poll panel said, after hearing leaders of the two factions led by Banerjee and Arup Roy, that the dispute required a detailed decision under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.A similar dispute involving the Shiv Sena is pending before the Supreme Court. On September 24, the court said that matter should be decided quickly and asked the Election Commission to suggest a "reasonable" time frame that would give both sides a fair opportunity to present evidence and allow the poll panel to reach a final decision.The latest order gives the Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress 10 days each, in sequence, to complete their filings before the Election Commission, which will then decide the dispute over the party name and symbol.- Ends