The Supreme Court on Thursday, 24 September 2026 directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to propose a concrete timeframe for resolving the dispute over the name and reserved election symbol of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), warning that the matter could not be allowed to drag on indefinitely. The direction came as a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana heard a plea filed by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee challenging the poll body's interim order freezing the party's established name and its 'Flowers and Grass' symbol.

What the Supreme Court Said

Addressing the ECI's counsel, the CJI-led Bench asked for a realistic schedule — one that gives both rival factions a fair opportunity to present evidence without allowing the proceedings to be dragged out unnecessarily. 'Give us a reasonable timeframe in which the parties are given a fair opportunity to lead their evidence, but the matter is not prolonged, and you also get sufficient time to apply your mind. Something realistic,' the Bench said.

The court adjourned the matter for further hearing on 28 September, by which time the poll panel is expected to table its proposed timeline.

Mamata Faction's Contentions

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Mamata Banerjee, was careful to clarify that the petition was not seeking a stay on the upcoming bye-elections. Instead, he pressed the court to ensure the ECI decides the underlying dispute expeditiously. Sibal questioned the timing of the poll body's interim order, pointing out that the dispute had been placed before the ECI as far back as July, yet the freeze on the party name and symbol was imposed only after the bye-election process had already commenced — at a stage when the affected faction had no practical opportunity to seek judicial relief.

'Can the Election Commission delay matters and then pass orders in the midst of elections, knowing that I won't have a remedy? You have passed this order in the midst of elections,' Sibal submitted. He added: 'They could have passed this order much before the election, and I would have had a remedy.' Sibal also urged the court to ensure a final decision by October, citing the subsequent Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls.

Rival Faction's Stand

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the rival camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee, stated his side was willing to cooperate with the ECI proceedings. 'We will cooperate because we want the symbol. Evidence has to be led, of course,' Rohatgi said, while opposing a hard October deadline.

Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, also appearing for the rival faction, argued that the dispute involved complex factual questions requiring affidavits and documentary evidence from both sides, making a 10-to-20-day window potentially unreasonable. 'For the health of democracy, we have no difficulty with an expeditious decision because we know where we stand in the matter. But to say do it in ten days or twenty days may be unreasonable,' Kaul submitted. He further contended that the ECI holds broad powers under Paragraphs 15 and 18 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 to issue interim directions while adjudicating such disputes.

Background: How the Crisis Escalated

The dispute erupted after rival factions approached the ECI claiming control over the TMC's organisational and legislative structures. The poll panel's interim order barred both factions from using the established name 'All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'Flowers and Grass' symbol pending substantive determination under Paragraph 15 of the Symbols Order.

For the 6 October bye-elections in the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies, the ECI allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'football player' symbol, while the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction was allotted the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'envelope' symbol.

The organisational rift has also spilled into Parliament: 20 rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs broke away and aligned with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), claiming recognition as a separate parliamentary group. The Mamata faction has challenged the delay in hearing disqualification petitions against these MPs under the anti-defection law, arguing their alignment with another formation attracts its provisions. The rival faction, in turn, claims the support of more than two-thirds of the TMC's Lok Sabha MPs and seeks formal recognition as a separate parliamentary group.

What Happens Next

The Supreme Court will next take up the matter on 28 September. The ECI's proposed timeline, once submitted, will set the pace for the final adjudication — the outcome of which will determine which faction retains the TMC's name and its nationally recognised 'Flowers and Grass' poll symbol, with direct implications for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections expected to follow.