New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission to take a final decision within three months on the dispute over the name and election symbol of the Trinamool Congress.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed both rival factions to submit their respective claims and supporting documents to the poll panel within four weeks.
The court’s direction came on a petition filed by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenging the Election Commission’s decision to freeze the Trinamool Congress’ twin-flower symbol following a split in the party.
Both factions have claimed to be the legitimate Trinamool Congress and have staked their claim to the party’s name and election symbol. The dispute follows the pattern of earlier controversies involving the election symbols of the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party.
The Election Commission had on September 17 decided to freeze the disputed symbol temporarily and allot new names and symbols to the rival groups for the forthcoming by-elections in two Assembly constituencies, including Nandigram.
During the hearing, the Election Commission submitted that it would require at least six months to adjudicate the dispute, citing its complexity. Justice Bagchi, however, observed that three months would be sufficient for the exercise.
The court said that if the Commission encountered any difficulty in completing the proceedings within the stipulated period, it could approach the Supreme Court for appropriate directions.
The rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee has adopted the name AITC-Democratic, while the faction led by Mamata Banerjee has been identified as the AITC-Mamata faction.
The poll panel has allotted revised names and symbols to both groups. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has been named the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and allotted the football-player symbol, while the Ritabrata Banerjee-led group has been named the Democratic Trinamool Congress and allotted the envelope symbol.
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