ECI splits Trinamool: Mamata faction gets 'Football Player', rival gets 'Envelope'
Synopsis
For the first time since 1998, neither Trinamool faction will contest a West Bengal election under the iconic 'Flowers & Grass' symbol. The ECI's interim order — branding Mamata Banerjee's group the 'original but minority' faction and Ritabrata Banerjee's group the 'rebel but majority' — sets up a high-stakes identity battle just weeks before the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls.
Key Takeaways
The ECI on 18 September 2026 assigned interim names and symbols to both rival All India Trinamool Congress factions.
Mamata Banerjee 's faction is named 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' with the 'Football Player' symbol; recognised in West Bengal , Meghalaya , and Tripura .
Ritabrata Banerjee 's faction is named 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' with the 'Envelope' symbol; similarly recognised in three states.
The interim arrangement holds until the ECI delivers a final verdict on ownership of the original AITC name and 'Flowers & Grass' symbol.
The order applies immediately to Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls on 6 October and the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam.
This is the first West Bengal election since the party's founding in 1998 where neither faction contests under the original Trinamool identity.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday, 18 September 2026, allotted interim names and election symbols to the two rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), as the dispute over the party's original name and its storied 'Flowers & Grass' symbol awaits a final ruling. The order marks a dramatic rupture in a party that has dominated West Bengal politics since 2011.
What the ECI Order Says
The faction led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee — described by the Commission as the 'original but minority' group — has been allotted the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the election symbol 'Football Player'. This faction has been recognised as a political party in West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Tripura.
The rival faction, led by expelled Trinamool legislator Ritabrata Banerjee and characterised by the ECI as the 'rebel but majority' group, has been allotted the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the symbol 'Envelope'. It too has been recognised in the same three states.
Interim Arrangement Until Final Verdict
The ECI clarified that the newly assigned names and symbols are temporary, remaining operative only until the Commission delivers its final verdict on which faction is entitled to the original All India Trinamool Congress name and the 'Flowers & Grass' symbol. Both factions will contest all upcoming elections under their interim identities in the meantime.
Impact on Upcoming Bypolls
The order takes immediate effect for the Assembly bypolls in Nandigram in East Midnapore district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district, both scheduled for 6 October, with counting on 9 October. Additionally, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction's candidate in the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam will contest under the 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' banner with the 'Football Player' symbol.
A Historic Break from 1998
Mamata Banerjee founded the Trinamool Congress in 1998 after splitting from the Indian National Congress. The party has contested every election since under the All India Trinamool Congress name and the 'Flowers & Grass' symbol — imagery deeply embedded in Bengal's political consciousness. The party swept to power in West Bengal in 2011 and has held the state continuously since. With this ECI order, the upcoming bypolls will be the first West Bengal elections since 1998 where neither faction can use the original name or symbol on the ballot — a rupture with no modern precedent in state politics.
Point of View
And foreshadows how the final verdict could go. Mamata Banerjee built the Trinamool brand over 27 years; losing the 'Flowers & Grass' symbol on the final ruling would be a political blow of a magnitude West Bengal has not seen. The Nandigram bypoll — in the constituency she once contested herself — becomes the first real test of whether 'Football Player' carries the same voter recognition as 'Flowers & Grass'. If it does not, the symbol dispute stops being procedural and starts being existential.
NationPress
18 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has the Election Commission of India decided about the Trinamool Congress factions?
The ECI has allotted interim names and election symbols to both rival AITC factions on 18 September 2026. Mamata Banerjee's group gets the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'Football Player' symbol, while Ritabrata Banerjee's group gets 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'Envelope' symbol, pending a final verdict on the original party name and 'Flowers & Grass' symbol.
Why did the ECI describe Mamata Banerjee's group as the 'original but minority' faction?
The ECI's designation reflects its assessment of the internal composition of both factions — suggesting that while Mamata Banerjee's group may have a stronger claim to the party's founding identity, the rival faction commanded a numerical majority among legislators or party representatives at the time of the ruling. The final verdict on the original name and symbol has not yet been issued.
Which upcoming elections will be affected by the ECI's order?
The order applies to the Assembly bypolls in Nandigram (East Midnapore) and Rejinagar (Murshidabad), both scheduled for 6 October 2026 with counting on 9 October. It also covers the Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam, where the Mamata Banerjee-led faction's candidate will contest under the new name and symbol.
What happens to the original 'All India Trinamool Congress' name and 'Flowers & Grass' symbol?
Both the original name and symbol remain frozen pending a final ECI ruling on which faction is entitled to them. Until that verdict is delivered, neither faction can use them in elections.
Why is this ECI order historically significant for West Bengal?
It is the first time since Mamata Banerjee founded the Trinamool Congress in 1998 that a West Bengal election will be contested without the original AITC name and 'Flowers & Grass' symbol on the ballot. The party has governed West Bengal continuously since 2011, making the symbol dispute one of the most consequential electoral identity battles the state has seen.
