The rebel TMC faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee on Monday named candidates for the bypolls to two Assembly seats in West Bengal, escalating its electoral battle with the Mamata Banerjee-led camp while asserting that it would contest under the official party name and symbol.
Mohammad Eteshamul Haque will contest from Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, while Safiuzzaman Sheikh has been nominated from Rejinagar in Murshidabad, Ritabrata Banerjee said at a press conference at the TMC Bhavan.
"We will draw the picture of the twin flowers. It is our symbol. We will use that very symbol in both constituencies," he said, asserting that the All India Trinamool Congress would contest the bypolls on its own.
The announcement comes as the two factions continue to stake their claims to the 'twin flowers on grass' (Jora Ghash Phool) symbol and approach the Election Commission (EC) over the party's name, organisational control and assets.
The Mamata-led faction had on Sunday named Sanchita Pradhan Dey as its candidate for Nandigram and former MLA Rabiul Alam Chowdhury for Rejinagar, raising the possibility of rival nominees contesting under the same party identity and symbol.
The EC heard representatives of both factions on Saturday and subsequently sought additional documents from them. The two camps have been asked to submit the documents by September 16, the last date for filing nominations, with another hearing or meeting possible on September 17.
The symbol dispute could therefore prove as consequential as the electoral contest itself.
If the EC does not settle the issue before polling, the symbol could be frozen temporarily, requiring the rival factions to contest under separate temporary names and symbols. Alternatively, one faction could be allotted the symbol while the other would have to adopt a different electoral identity.
Ritabrata, however, said his faction was preparing to contest on the basis of its claim to the original symbol.
The decision to field a candidate in Nandigram comes despite an earlier assurance by the rebel camp that it would not contest the seat if Mamata Banerjee herself entered the fray.
Explaining the decision, Ritabrata said his faction had expected Mamata Banerjee to contest from Nandigram because she had failed to win the 2026 Assembly election.
"We wanted her to contest and come back to the assembly. If Mamata Banerjee had contested, we would have withdrawn our candidature in her support," he said.
The October 6 bypolls could consequently become the first substantive electoral test of the rival factions' claims to the TMC's organisational machinery and traditional support base since the party's defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
For the Ritabrata faction, the objective is not merely to win either seat but to demonstrate that its claim to the TMC's political space has an electoral base. A significant vote share could strengthen its position in the continuing battle over the party's identity.
The Mamata camp, meanwhile, faces the challenge of preventing a division of the traditional TMC vote, particularly if both factions succeed in presenting themselves to voters as the authentic Trinamool Congress.
Nandigram is particularly significant in this battle. The constituency was the epicentre of the anti-land acquisition movement that helped the TMC come to power in 2011 and later became the site of Mamata Banerjee's closely fought electoral contest with BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari had contested both Nandigram and Bhabanipur in the 2026 Assembly polls and won both seats before vacating Nandigram, necessitating the bypoll.
Rejinagar also fell vacant after Humayun Kabir, who had won from both Rejinagar and Nowda, relinquished the former seat. Kabir has backed his son Golam Nabi Azad, popularly known as Robin, for the bypoll.
The BJP, which defeated the TMC in the 2026 Assembly elections, is also in the contest and is expected to seek to exploit the division within the opposition party.
For the rebel faction, the bypolls represent a shift from the legal and organisational battle to a test of strength among voters. For the Mamata camp, the stakes are equally political, retaining the traditional TMC vote while establishing its exclusive claim to the party's familiar electoral identity.
The possibility of two rival factions campaigning under the same 'Jora Ghash Phool' symbol has added another layer of uncertainty to the contests, with the EC's decision likely to shape the electoral battle even before the campaign gathers full momentum.
The last date for filing nominations is September 16, while counting will take place on October 9.
(With inputs from PTI)