SC sets four-month deadline for EC to decide on Trinamool Congress name, symbol dispute
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The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission to decide within four months which of the two Trinamool Congress factions is authorised to use the party’s name and the “flowers and grass” symbol, Bar and Bench reported.
The court gave the factions one month to complete their pleadings before the Election Commission, after which the panel will have three months to decide the matter.
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant was hearing a writ petition filed by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenging the Election Commission’s decision to freeze the party’s original name and symbol amid a dispute between the two factions.
On September 17, the Election Commission barred both factions from using the party’s original name and the “flowers and grass” symbol in the October 6 bye-polls.
The next day, it allotted new names and symbols to the factions. The group led by Mamata Banerjee was assigned the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the “football player” symbol. The Arup Roy-led rebel faction was allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the “envelope” symbol.
The poll body had clarified that the new names and symbols were only an interim arrangement and did not constitute a final adjudication of the rival claims.
During Monday’s hearing, the Election Commission’s advocate told the court...