The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to urgently list a plea filed by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenging the Election Commission’s interim decision to freeze the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) name and its ‘Flowers and Grass’ election symbol.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Banerjee, mentioned the matter before a Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana.
“They issue a notification and in the middle of notification, they freeze the symbol. What is going on? We want urgent listing,” Mr. Sibal said.
The court indicated that the rival faction would also have an opportunity to make its submissions and agreed to list the matter urgently.
The Election Commission had on September 18 barred both rival factions of the Trinamool Congress from using the party’s original name and its reserved symbol, pending a substantive determination of the dispute under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
The Commission subsequently allotted the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘Football Player’ symbol to the faction led by Banerjee. The rival faction led by Arup Roy was allotted the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘Envelope’ symbol for the October 6 Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
In her plea, Banerjee has challenged the Commission’s interim order and sought restoration of the party’s original name and symbol. The petition names the Election Commission and Ritabrata Banerjee, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, as respondents.
Banerjee had on September 18 criticised the Commission’s decision, describing it as a “black day” in the country’s democratic history. She said she would continue her legal and political fight to retain the party’s original identity.
The dispute followed a rebellion within the Trinamool Congress after its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly election. The Election Commission has said that rival groups led by Banerjee and Roy were separately claiming to represent the party, necessitating a substantive determination under the Symbols Order.
The Commission’s interim arrangement came ahead of the October 6 bypolls, for which both factions had sought to use the original party identity.
(With inputs from PTI)
