सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने ईसीआई को त्रिनामूल चुनावी चिन्ह विवाद का निर्णय चार महीने के भीतर देने का निर्देश दिया

Supreme Court Asks ECI To Decide Trinamool Election Symbol Dispute Within 4 Months

Debby Jain

28 Sept 2026 1:43 PM IST

The Supreme Court today set a timeline for the Election Commission of India to finally decide the election symbol dispute in the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party involving the Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee factions under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

The Court asked both the parties to file their affidavits/counter-affidavits within four weeks. In other words, the pleadings should be completed within four weeks.

After that, the ECI must decide the matter within three months. Thus, effectively, the Court has directed that the matter be decided within a period of four months.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana was hearing the writ petition filed by former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress founder Mamata Banerjee challenging the ECI's September 17 decision to freeze the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) name and its 'Flowers & Grass' election symbol amid a dispute between rival factions of the party.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, for Mamata Banerjee, had told the Court on the last occasion (September 24) that the interim order was not being contested, and the petitioner was seeking an expeditious decision. Following that, the Court asked the ECI to inform how much time would be required to decide the issue, observing that an early decision was necessary.

Today, Senior Advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, for the Election Commission of India, submitted that symbol disputes are bound to take time, because the affidavits from the party workers will come in "lakhs". Justice Bagchi suggested that the ECI can make use of AI tools, and can decide the matter within 3 months, pointing out that three months have already passed since the matter reached the poll body.

Naidu submitted that if the Court is setting any timeline, it should be from the date when the parties file their affidavits. He also handed over to the Court the timeline followed by the ECI in past symbol disputes.

Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Kalyan Bandhopadhyay submitted that the Mamata Banerjee-side has filed their responses in July itself, and other side was yet to file their counter-responses.

Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Neeraj Kishan Kaul appeared for the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction,

Background

The writ petition, challenging the ECI decision, was filed on September 18, making the ECI and rival faction head Ritabrata Banerjee parties.

The Commission had on September 17 passed the interim order after it concluded that there were two rival groups, one led by Mamata Banerjee and the other by Ritabrata Banerjee, each claiming to be the real Trinamool Congress.

The ECI has since allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the 'Football Player' symbol to the faction led by Mamata Banerjee. The rival faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee has been allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the 'Envelope' symbol. The ECI's interim arrangement is applicable to the upcoming bye-elections, including those in Nandigram and Rejinagar, scheduled for October 6.

The ECI has clarified that the allocation of the new names and symbols is an interim arrangement and does not constitute a final adjudication of the rival claims over the original party name and symbol. The substantive dispute is to be determined separately under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

Case : Mamata Banerjee v. Election Commission of India | Diary No. 58005/2026

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