EC bars both TMC factions from using party name and symbol in Bengal bypolls

The Election Commission has barred both factions of the Trinamool Congress from using the party's name and symbol in the upcoming West Bengal assembly by-elections. This decision comes amid a dispute between two groups claiming the party's identity, affecting their participation in the polls, officials said on September 17.

The Commission took note of the urgency involved in the use of the party symbol and name during the ongoing by-elections. Both factions will be known by the names they choose for their respective groups, including any linkage with the parent party, All India Trinamool Congress, if they so desire. However, neither faction will be allowed to use the original party name or symbol in the interim.

The decision has drawn criticism from opposition parties. A Congress spokesperson described the move as a "late night birthday gift to Modi ji," alleging that the Election Commission's action was a "blatantly unconstitutional hijack by the BJP." The spokesperson added that "whoever opposes the BJP is dealt a fatal blow and their entire electoral existence is snatched away from them." Another expert called the freeze a "bullet through the heart of Indian democracy." The Commission's order was described as a substantive determination in the ongoing political conflict.