The Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday, 26 October flatly rejected allegations by rebel leader and West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee that supporters of the Mamata camp had attempted to intercept a truck carrying affidavits bound for the Election Commission of India (ECI). The dispute is the latest flashpoint in an ongoing battle between the two factions over who rightfully owns the party's original name and electoral symbol.

What Ritabrata Alleged

Earlier on Monday, Ritabrata Banerjee issued a social media statement claiming that supporters of the Mamata-led faction had attempted to seize a truck transporting affidavits from Kolkata to New Delhi. The affidavits, he said, were being submitted to the ECI on behalf of his faction to establish a claim over the original party name — 'All India Trinamool Congress' — and the electoral symbol of 'Flowers and Grass'. Ritabrata, however, claimed that workers of his faction successfully foiled the alleged attempt.

Mamata Faction's Counter-Claim

Dola Sen, a Rajya Sabha member and a prominent face of the Mamata Banerjee-led camp, dismissed the allegations as 'baseless' when speaking to journalists hours after Ritabrata's statement. She attributed the claims to the rebel leader's frustration, asserting that neither Ritabrata nor his followers commands the mass support that Mamata Banerjee continues to enjoy.

'There are baseless allegations. The rebel faction neither has any followers nor dedicated party workers. They have no workers, no supporters. Everyone knows that they are agents of the BJP and the current West Bengal Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari. That is why the rebel faction is getting the police to do the work on filling up affidavits from the grassroots level Trinamool Congress leaders and workers by putting pressure on them,' Sen said.

Sen also levelled a counter-allegation, stating that Ritabrata's faction was itself attempting to block ordinary party workers from filing affidavits in support of Mamata Banerjee. 'A thorough investigation into the matter is required, and the truth will be revealed,' she added.

Background: The ECI's Name-Symbol Freeze

The standoff has its roots in a split within the Trinamool Congress earlier this year, which prompted the ECI to temporarily freeze the original party name and symbol. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction was assigned the interim name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the electoral symbol of a 'Football Player'. The Ritabrata-led rebel faction was allotted the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the electoral symbol of an 'Envelope'.

The ECI has now initiated the final adjudication process to determine which faction will permanently retain the original name and symbol. As part of that process, both factions have been asked to submit affidavits — which is precisely what both sides claim to be doing, and what each accuses the other of trying to obstruct.

What Happens Next

The ECI's decision on the name-symbol dispute will have significant electoral consequences in West Bengal, where the original Trinamool brand carries substantial voter recognition. Notably, this kind of intra-party split adjudication has precedent — most famously in the Shiv Sena and NCP splits at the national level in recent years — but outcomes have often hinged on who can demonstrate superior organisational support at the grassroots level. With both sides now trading allegations of interference, the ECI proceeding is likely to grow more contentious before it is resolved.