AISF to challenge ECI in court over 'envelope' symbol allotted to TMC rebel faction
Synopsis
West Bengal's Trinamool split just got a third-party complication: the All-India Secular Front says the ECI has handed its registered 'envelope' symbol to the Ritabrata Banerjee rebel faction, and is threatening to drag the poll body to court. The dispute, ahead of crucial bypolls, could stall the freshly minted identities of both TMC factions.
Key Takeaways
The AISF is considering a court challenge after the ECI allotted its registered 'envelope' symbol to the Ritabrata Banerjee -led rebel Trinamool Congress faction.
Nawsad Siddique , AISF's sole West Bengal Assembly member, says the party renewed the symbol on 10 March 2026 and has used it since the 2021 state elections.
The ECI on Friday allotted the 'envelope' symbol and the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' to the Ritabrata faction, and the 'football player' symbol and 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' name to the Mamata Banerjee faction.
The ECI had on Thursday frozen the original 'All India Trinamool Congress' name and 'flowers & grass' symbol following the party split.
West Bengal will see its first election since 1998 without the original Trinamool name or symbol on the ballot.
The All-India Secular Front (AISF) is considering filing a legal challenge against the Election Commission of India (ECI) after the poll body allotted its registered election symbol — the 'envelope' — to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress, which has simultaneously been granted the new name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress'. The dispute adds a fresh legal dimension to West Bengal's rapidly evolving political crisis.
AISF's objection and legal threat
Nawsad Siddique, the lone AISF member in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, confirmed that his party had already sent a formal objection to the ECI and was weighing a court petition. Siddique contested the Bhangar Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district under the 'envelope' symbol in both the 2021 and 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
'We renewed the envelope symbol on March 10, 2026. We indeed chose our own from among the 'free symbols,' and the ECI approved it. We have been fighting with this symbol since the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls. My question is, in such a situation, why was the same symbol allotted to any other political party?' Siddique said, alleging that the move was part of a deliberate effort to weaken his party.
He further alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was 'constantly using the ECI to weaken the Opposition,' adding that such tactics would 'not ultimately be good for them.' The BJP has not responded to the allegation.
What the ECI ordered
On Thursday, the ECI froze the original name 'All India Trinamool Congress' and the iconic 'flowers & grass' symbol following a split in the party. A day later, on Friday, the Commission allotted new identities to both rival factions. The Ritabrata-led breakaway group received the 'envelope' symbol and the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress', while the faction led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was allotted the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'football player' symbol. Both sets of fresh identities will apply to the state's upcoming bypolls.
A historic break from 1998
The Trinamool Congress was founded in 1998 following Mamata Banerjee's split from the Indian National Congress (INC). Since its inception, the party has contested every election under the 'All India Trinamool Congress' banner and the 'flowers & grass' symbol. It captured power in West Bengal in 2011 and has governed the state continuously since. The ECI's latest orders mean West Bengal will face its first election since 1998 without either the original Trinamool name or symbol on the ballot — a significant break in the state's electoral history.
What happens next
The AISF's threatened court intervention could complicate the symbol allotments ahead of the bypolls if a court grants interim relief. Legal experts note that disputes over 'free symbols' — those not exclusively reserved for a single party — typically hinge on prior usage and formal ECI approval records, both of which Siddique claims to possess. The ECI has not yet publicly addressed the AISF's objection, and no court filing had been confirmed as of the latest reports.
Point of View
' the ECI's allotment of the same symbol to a new entity raises procedural questions the Commission has not yet answered publicly. Trinamool's split has consumed the political oxygen, but the collateral damage to smaller parties — already fighting for survival in West Bengal's consolidating two-bloc contest — is real. The BJP allegation by Siddique, while contested, reflects a broader anxiety among Opposition formations that the ECI's management of party disputes consistently benefits certain outcomes. Whether that allegation holds legal water is another matter; what it does signal is deepening institutional distrust that the Commission has an interest in addressing head-on.
NationPress
19 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the AISF threatening to take the ECI to court?
The AISF says the ECI wrongly allotted its registered election symbol — the 'envelope' — to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel Trinamool Congress faction. The party argues it renewed the symbol on 10 March 2026 and has used it in West Bengal elections since 2021, and is now weighing a legal challenge to reverse the allotment.
What did the ECI decide about the Trinamool Congress split?
The ECI froze the original 'All India Trinamool Congress' name and 'flowers & grass' symbol on Thursday. On Friday it allotted new names and symbols to both factions: 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' with the 'envelope' for the Ritabrata Banerjee group, and 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' with the 'football player' symbol for the Mamata Banerjee faction.
Who is Nawsad Siddique and why does his claim matter?
Nawsad Siddique is the only AISF legislator in the West Bengal Assembly, representing the Bhangar constituency in South 24 Parganas. His claim matters because he has a documented record of contesting elections under the 'envelope' symbol in both 2021 and 2026, strengthening the AISF's case that it holds prior and recognised usage rights over the symbol.
When was the Trinamool Congress founded and what changes does this mark?
The Trinamool Congress was founded in 1998 after Mamata Banerjee broke away from the Indian National Congress. The party has contested every election since under the 'All India Trinamool Congress' name and 'flowers & grass' symbol. The ECI's freeze means West Bengal's upcoming bypolls will be the first since 1998 without either original marker on the ballot.
What is a 'free symbol' in Indian election law?
A 'free symbol' is an election symbol not exclusively reserved for a recognised national or state party. Unrecognised parties and independent candidates can choose from the ECI's pool of free symbols, subject to approval. The AISF contends it holds formal ECI approval for the 'envelope' as its free symbol, making its allotment to another party a procedural error.
