New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has sharply criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) after it temporarily froze the Trinamool Congress’ party name and election symbol amid an internal dispute between rival factions.
Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission and the BJP were working together to split opposition parties and deprive them of their established election symbols. He compared the developments involving the Trinamool Congress with earlier disputes within the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party.
The Election Commission issued an interim order on September 17, preventing both factions from using the name All India Trinamool Congress and its reserved Flowers and Grass symbol in the upcoming West Bengal bypolls. The order followed competing claims by groups led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy over control of the party.
The Commission said the dispute requires a substantive determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. Until a final decision is reached, both groups will contest under separate names and symbols.
The two factions were directed to submit three preferred party names and three free symbols for consideration ahead of the bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The interim arrangement is intended to remain in place while the Commission examines the competing claims.
Rahul Gandhi Backs Mamata Banerjee
Gandhi said the dispute was not only about Mamata Banerjee but also concerned political parties and voters seeking free and fair elections. He argued that the Election Commission’s constitutional responsibility was to safeguard the electoral mandate.
Referring to his broader allegations of “vote chori”, Gandhi described the latest development as “party chori” and linked it to what he called a wider decline in democratic institutions. These statements represent Gandhi’s political allegations and have not been established as findings by the Election Commission.
The Election Commission’s interim decision does not determine which faction will ultimately retain the Trinamool Congress name and symbol. A substantive decision on the competing claims remains pending.
