The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday, 18 September 2026, ordered a freeze on the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) name and its iconic grass-flowers symbol, forcing both warring factions of the split party to submit fresh names and symbols by 11 am on Friday. The freeze means that neither the Mamata Banerjee-led faction nor the rival bloc headed by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee can contest any election under the existing party identity until the Commission delivers a final ruling.

What the ECI Order Says

Under the poll panel's directive, each faction must provide three alternative names and three alternative symbols to the Commission by the Friday morning deadline. The ECI will then allot one name and one symbol from each faction's shortlist. Any faction that misses the deadline will be disqualified from contesting the upcoming bypolls entirely.

The order has immediate practical consequences for the Nandigram assembly constituency in East Midnapore district and the Rejinagar assembly constituency in Murshidabad district — both scheduled to go to polls on 6 October 2026, with results due on 9 October 2026.

The Two Factions at a Glance

The Trinamool split has produced two sharply distinct claims. The Mamata Banerjee camp — which includes her nephew Abhishek Banerjee — describes itself as the 'original but minority' faction, arguing organisational continuity and historical legitimacy. The Ritabrata Banerjee bloc, which claims to represent the numerical majority of the party's legislators and workers, positions itself as the democratic mainstream of the original organisation.

The grass-flowers symbol was reportedly designed by Mamata Banerjee herself when the party was founded in 1998 after breaking away from the Indian National Congress. The Trinamool went on to capture power in West Bengal in 2011, making the name and symbol potent political capital. West Bengal is now set to witness its first election without either appearing on the ballot.

Divided Reactions from Both Camps

The Mamata faction's response was one of outright rejection. Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee described the ECI order as unconstitutional and said his faction would not accept it in principle, even as practical compulsions forced a degree of compliance. 'We will do whatever is required now. But as of now, if we have to choose a symbol, we have till 11 a.m. on Friday. We are not accepting this order. Just as illegal things have to be accepted temporarily, this too has to be accepted,' he said.

Ritabrata Banerjee took a contrasting position, welcoming the freeze as a verdict against dynastic politics. In a social media post, he argued that the ECI's interim order validated a core principle: that political parties cannot be treated as private or hereditary property. 'A political party is not a private limited company, nor can there be an heir to a political party. This has been proven today,' he said.

Historical Context and What Comes Next

The Trinamool Congress has been a fixture of West Bengal politics for nearly three decades. Its name and symbol have survived defections, alliance shifts, and electoral near-collapses. The current freeze is arguably the most significant institutional challenge the party identity has ever faced. Notably, the ECI's freeze is interim — a final adjudication on which faction retains the original name and symbol is still pending, meaning the battle over the party's soul will extend well beyond the October bypolls.

Both factions are expected to file their alternative names and symbols within hours, with political observers closely watching whether either side attempts a legal challenge before Friday's deadline.