The Supreme Court on Monday, 26 October 2026, granted an additional 10 days to the faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee to file its response before the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the ongoing dispute over the name and election symbol of the Trinamool Congress. The court simultaneously allowed the Mamata Banerjee-led faction a further 10 days to reply to the rival camp's affidavit — extending a legal battle that has split India's prominent Bengal-based party into competing organisational and parliamentary blocs.

Background to the Dispute

The dispute centres on which faction holds the rightful claim to the Trinamool Congress's established name and its reserved 'Flowers and Grass' election symbol. The ECI had earlier passed an interim order freezing both the party's existing name and symbol pending a final determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. Mamata Banerjee challenged this freeze before the apex court, seeking its quashing.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana has been hearing the matter. In its earlier order of 28 September, the Bench had directed both sides to complete all pleadings within four weeks, after which the ECI was to be given three months to decide the controversy.

What the Court Ordered on Monday

The latest extension was triggered by the Ritabrata Banerjee faction's request for a two-week extension, as the deadline for submitting its reply was due to expire on Monday. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction opposed the request. The court ultimately granted each side 10 days — a compromise that keeps the broader ECI timeline largely intact.

The apex court reiterated that it has expressed no opinion on the merits of the dispute, leaving both sides free to raise their respective contentions before the poll panel.

Interim Arrangements and By-election Symbols

Following the ECI's interim freeze, the poll body had allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'football player' symbol, while the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction was allotted the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'envelope' symbol for the by-elections in West Bengal. The poll panel stated that this interim arrangement was designed to place both groups on an equal footing and protect their respective rights until a final decision is rendered.

Parliamentary Fallout and Anti-Defection Proceedings

The dispute has also spilled into Parliament, where 20 rebel Trinamool Lok Sabha members broke away and aligned with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), seeking recognition as a separate parliamentary group. The Mamata Banerjee camp maintains that these MPs were elected on the Trinamool symbol and that their subsequent alignment with another political formation attracts the provisions of the anti-defection law.

The rival faction, reportedly claiming the support of more than two-thirds of the party's Lok Sabha MPs, has contested this position. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has additionally challenged what it describes as undue delay in deciding disqualification petitions filed against the rebel MPs under the anti-defection law.

What Happens Next

With the extended pleadings timeline now in place, the ECI's three-month adjudication window will begin only after both factions complete their filings. The outcome will determine which group retains the Trinamool Congress's name and prized election symbol — a decision with significant consequences for the party's electoral identity in West Bengal and its parliamentary arithmetic at the national level.