Rahul Gandhi backs Mamata faction, accuses BJP of 'party theft' after EC freezes TMC name
Synopsis
Rahul Gandhi has invoked Shiv Sena and NCP to frame the EC's TMC symbol freeze as a third episode in what he calls a BJP-engineered 'party theft' playbook. With West Bengal bypolls just weeks away, the Congress leader's intervention reframes a state-level factional dispute as a national democratic flashpoint — and puts the Election Commission squarely in opposition crosshairs.
Key Takeaways
Rahul Gandhi on 18 September 2026 backed the Mamata Banerjee -led TMC faction and accused the BJP of orchestrating a pattern of 'party theft.' The ECI froze the All India Trinamool Congress name and Flowers and Grass symbol on Thursday , barring both rival factions from using them in upcoming bypolls.
Bypolls to Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies are scheduled for 6 October .
AICC general secretary K.C.
Venugopal called the EC order 'blatantly unconstitutional' and accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of acting at the BJP's behest.
Gandhi drew parallels with the earlier Shiv Sena and NCP symbol disputes, calling it a recurring pattern of democratic decline.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday, 18 September 2026, publicly backed the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) faction led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee, after the Election Commission of India (ECI) froze the party's name and election symbol ahead of the state's Assembly bypolls next month. Gandhi alleged a deliberate pattern of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ECI working together to weaken opposition parties.
What the Election Commission Decided
The ECI on Thursday barred both rival TMC factions from using the party name All India Trinamool Congress and its iconic Flowers and Grass symbol in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly bypolls. The commission directed that both groups contest under separate names and symbols until the internal dispute is resolved. Bypolls to the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies are scheduled for 6 October.
Gandhi's 'Party Theft' Allegation
In a social media post, Gandhi drew a direct line between the TMC situation and earlier splits in the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), framing it as a recurring tactic. 'First, it was Shiv Sena, then NCP, and now Trinamool Congress. Every time, the same pattern. BJP and the Election Commission join forces to split a party. Then its election symbol is snatched away,' Gandhi alleged.
He escalated the charge with a pointed remark: 'Vote theft. Government theft. Now party theft too. These have become symbols of our democratic decline,' Gandhi said. He also accused the ECI of failing its constitutional mandate, saying it was 'aiding those very forces that overturn the people's verdict' rather than protecting the electoral mandate.
Congress Party's Formal Response
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K.C. Venugopal separately criticised the commission's interim order, describing it as a 'blatantly unconstitutional hijack by the BJP.' Venugopal alleged that the late-night decision amounted to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's 'birthday gift to Modi ji.' He further contended that the freeze would embolden those who had contested the BJP under Mamata Banerjee's leadership to now rebel against her, and accused the ECI of acting as a 'puppet' of the ruling party.
Broader Context and What Is at Stake
This comes amid an intensifying national debate over the autonomy of constitutional bodies, particularly the ECI, which has drawn scrutiny from multiple opposition parties over the past two years. The Shiv Sena and NCP symbol disputes — both of which ended with the BJP's alliance partners retaining the original names and symbols — have set a politically charged precedent. Critics argue those outcomes emboldened further challenges to established party leaderships. Notably, the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls carry symbolic weight: Nandigram was the constituency where Mamata Banerjee narrowly lost in the 2021 state elections before winning the Bhabanipur bypoll. The outcome of these contests could significantly shape the TMC's internal power balance ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
What Happens Next
Both TMC factions must now register under fresh names and symbols before the bypoll deadline. The underlying dispute over legitimate party leadership remains before the Election Commission. Gandhi's intervention signals that the Congress intends to frame this issue as a national democratic concern, not merely a Bengal-level party dispute, potentially shaping opposition unity ahead of future electoral contests.
Point of View
He constructs a national narrative that transcends West Bengal and paints the ECI as a tool of incumbent consolidation. The problem for that argument is that the ECI froze both factions' symbols — not just the rebel group's — which is procedurally different from the Shiv Sena and NCP orders that awarded names and symbols to the BJP-allied splinter groups. The Congress and Gandhi would do well to acknowledge that distinction, because conflating the two weakens the credibility of an otherwise important accountability argument. The deeper issue — whether constitutional bodies retain genuine independence when their leadership is appointed by the executive — is one that deserves scrutiny on its merits, not just through the lens of electoral competition.
NationPress
18 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Election Commission freeze the TMC name and symbol?
The ECI froze the All India Trinamool Congress name and its Flowers and Grass symbol because two rival factions within the party are each claiming to be the legitimate TMC. Both groups have been directed to contest the upcoming West Bengal bypolls under separate names and symbols until the dispute is adjudicated.
Which constituencies are going to bypolls and when?
The Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies in West Bengal are scheduled for bypolls on 6 October 2026. The EC's symbol freeze directly affects how each TMC faction can campaign and appear on the ballot.
What did Rahul Gandhi say about the EC's decision?
Gandhi alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission had followed the same pattern used against the Shiv Sena and NCP — splitting parties and then stripping them of their symbols. He called it 'party theft' and said the ECI was 'aiding those very forces that overturn the people's verdict' rather than protecting the electoral mandate.
Who is K.C. Venugopal and what did he allege?
K.C. Venugopal is the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). He described the EC's order as an 'unconstitutional hijack by the BJP' and alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had issued the late-night decision as a 'birthday gift to Modi ji,' accusing the poll body of acting as a 'puppet' of the ruling party.
How does this compare to the Shiv Sena and NCP symbol disputes?
In both the Shiv Sena and NCP cases, the ECI ultimately awarded the original party name and symbol to the BJP-allied splinter factions, a precedent opposition parties argue legitimised splits engineered with ruling-party support. In the TMC case, the commission has so far frozen both factions' access to the name and symbol, which is procedurally distinct from the earlier awards.
