EC temporary freezing TMC's party symbol is one in many such incidents from India's political past

Election Commission (EC) temporarily froze TMC's symbol on September 18. The 28-year-old party was split into two after a rebellion led by expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee. EC allotted separate names and election symbols to the two rival TMC factions. The move came ahead of October 6 Assembly bypolls in West Bengal. The Commission had directed the rival groups to submit three choices each for alternative names and symbols, with the names permitted to retain a linkage to the parent party. The symbols were required to be chosen from the list of free symbols notified for Independents and registered unrecognised political parties.

The EC said the time available before the bypolls was insufficient to complete the proceedings under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, but stressed the need to provide the rival groups with names and symbols for the elections. The interim arrangement will remain in force until the Commission takes a final decision on the dispute under Paragraph 15, it said. However, the temporary freezing or allocation of new symbols for breakaway factions is not new. From CPI(M) splitting from CPI in 1964 to the formation of Indira Gandhi-led Congress faction in 1969, watch the video to take a look at similar instances from India's political past.