Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 18 : Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to stop her faction from using the original All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) party name and its traditional ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol amid an ongoing leadership dispute within the party.
The development comes amid a dramatic political escalation ahead of the October 6 by-elections, with three interconnected developments - the ECI's interim freezing of the Trinamool Congress' traditional name and symbol, the withdrawal of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction's Nandigram candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey, and the subsequent arrest of Congress nominee Milan Pradhan in an old murder case - bringing the ruling side and Opposition into a fresh confrontation.
Banerjee led the Opposition's attack, questioning the timing of Pradhan's arrest and linking it to her faction's decision to support the Congress candidate in Nandigram.
"Minutes after we extended our support to the Congress candidate for the bypoll in Nandigram, the Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested. The timing raises serious questions and is the usual BJP formula: dig out an old case. But why now? Just after we announced support to the Congress!" Banerjee said in a post on X.
She alleged that the development reflected what she described as a pattern of "vendetta and atrocities", adding, "With manipulation, with vote loot, with intimidation the Election Agency-BJP partnership is killing democracy every day."
https://x.com/MamataOfficial/status/2100965352629039605
The political storm comes a day after the Election Commission issued an interim order barring both rival TMC factions from using the party's original name, "All India Trinamool Congress", and its traditional "Flowers and Grass" or "Jora Phool" symbol, pending a final determination of the organisational dispute.
The Commission subsequently allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" and the "Football Player" symbol, while the rival faction led by Arup Roy was allotted the name "Democratic Trinamool Congress" and the "Envelope" symbol. The interim arrangement applies to the upcoming bypolls.
The ECI had earlier directed both sides to submit alternative names and symbols so that candidates' nominations for the upcoming elections were not rejected because of the dispute over the party's identity.
Reacting to the order, Banerjee called it a "black day" in India's democratic history and said she did not disrespect the constitutional institution but disagreed with its decision.
"They had said beforehand, 'naam bhi rakhne doonga, nishaan bhi nahi rakhne doonga'. Who are these people? They are in power today; they might not be in power tomorrow. They should understand their limitations," she said.
Banerjee also asserted that she could not leave the TMC.
"They do not know that I cannot leave All India Trinamool Congress. It will always be with me until I leave this world. Absolutely dirty game, but we are also ready to fight it out," she said, while calling for solidarity within the INDIA bloc.
Meanwhile, Akhruzzaman, representing the rival faction and chief whip in Assembly rejected Banerjee's position and claimed that his group was the "original Trinamool Congress".
"We are the original Trinamool Congress. We are the All India Trinamool Congress. We are the real owners. This is because the majority of MLAs, the vast majority of three-tier panchayat members, and the people who built the Trinamool Congress's leadership across the state — over 80 per cent of them — stayed with us," Akhruzzaman said.
He said the interim order was not permanent and expressed confidence that his faction would eventually retain the original name and symbol.
"We've asked the Election Commission to let us keep our Trinamool Congress and the Trinamool Congress's 'Jora Phool' on the grass. Today, since this is an interim order, we're confident, and we hope the 'Jora Phool' on the grass will stay with us, and the All India Trinamool Congress will stay with us. It's just a matter of time - wait and see," he said.
Akhruzzaman also attacked Banerjee over her decision to support the Congress in Nandigram, alleging that the move would ultimately benefit the BJP.
"If she really wants to fight against the BJP, then support our candidate in Nandigram," he said.
He further questioned Banerjee's earlier claims regarding corruption among ministers, saying that if "90 per cent" of her ministers were corrupt, she had to answer for it as Chief Minister.
Congress leaders also attacked the Election Commission's interim arrangement.
West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar said the party believed that the poll panel had a responsibility to act impartially.
"The Congress party has always sought to advance democracy within a multi-party system. Our leaders, Rahul Gandhi and K.C. Venugopal, as well as the state Congress leadership and our in-charge, Prakash Joshi, have all emphasised that in a democratic political system, the public decides which party to accept through the electoral process," Sarkar told ANI.
He alleged that the "sanctity of the EC is being eroded these days due to the nexus between the central government and the Commission", while maintaining that disputes over party symbols and recognition should be resolved swiftly.
AICC in-charge for West Bengal Prakash Joshi said the Congress had long alleged that the Election Commission was not functioning independently.
"Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have long been contending that the Election Commission is not impartial; they argue that the Commission has become a complete puppet of the BJP and the PM Modi-led government," Joshi said.
He added that Congress would focus on contesting the elections and "fight the election vigorously".
Congress spokesperson Mita Chakraborty also expressed concern over the TMC name-symbol dispute.
"Mamata Banerjee may well have done many things wrong, but she has devoted so much of her life to the TMC. The party's symbol and identity are inextricably linked to her... Now that this has been taken away from her, what can one say? I feel bad for the state of democracy in our country today," she said.
MP Saugata Roy, meanwhile, described the EC order as temporary.
"I have no reaction. This is a temporary order only for only two by-elections. So we do not accept the order. Nor do I think it's a permanent order," he said.
The BJP hit back by pointing to the judicial and constitutional processes involved in party disputes.
BJP National General Secretary Smriti Z Irani questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the Election Commission, referring to instances during Congress-led governments.
"Taking a jibe at the BJP, Rahul Gandhi today presented the dark history of his own party. Is it not true that in 1980, the Central Govt of Congress dismissed 9 State Govts in the country by taking the help of Article 356? Is it not true that during UPA rule in 2005, Congress party dissolved the Bihar Assembly? This act of Congress was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Why do the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi attack the Election Commission again and again? Whose agenda is Rahul Gandhi pushing?" Irani said.
BJP MP Sambit Patra also attacked Gandhi's criticism of the ECI order.
"Firstly, Rahul Gandhi shows absolutely no respect for India's judicial system; there is a judicial process and a verdict involved here," Patra said.
He argued that the TMC and NCP themselves emerged from the Congress and accused the Congress of having historically split political formations and attempted to influence governments.
Patra cited the 1979 Janata Party episode, the merger of the Janata Party and Lok Dal in Haryana and the 1984 attempt to split the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh involving N Bhaskara Rao while NT Rama Rao was abroad.
BJP National Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi similarly hit out at Gandhi, saying the Congress leader "knows nothing about his own party".
"These parties (TMC, NCP) were formed by breaking away from Congress themselves," Trivedi said, responding to Gandhi's criticism of the BJP and EC.
Gandhi had earlier alleged that "party theft" had joined "vote theft" and "government theft", claiming that the BJP and Election Commission were acting together to split Opposition parties.
The symbol dispute was followed by another dramatic development in Nandigram when Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, withdrew her nomination.
Pradhan Dey's withdrawal came after she reportedly met West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Nabanna, accompanied by her husband Satyajit. 
With her withdrawal, the Mamata-led faction was left without a candidate in Nandigram.
Banerjee subsequently announced that her faction would support Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, describing Congress as a "sister party" and saying the decision was taken in the "greater interest of the country".
"In Nandigram, we are going to give our support to the Congress party. It is for the greater interest of the country. Rejinagar, I will decide later. In Assam, we are not contesting," Banerjee said.
She also said the decision was not linked to Sanchita Pradhan Dey's withdrawal and that her faction had decided to support Congress because it had a "good candidate".
Within hours of Banerjee's announcement, Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested by police in connection with an old murder case.
Police sources said Pradhan was an accused in an old murder case and that a warrant had been issued against him. He was arrested on the basis of that warrant.
The Congress, however, questioned the timing of the action.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal alleged that a "dormant 19-year-old case from 2007" was used to arrest Pradhan shortly after Banerjee announced support for him.
"Democracy is on ventilator in BJP's West Bengal. This is BJP's latest effort to ensure 'Opposition-Mukt Bharat', successfully converting our great Constitutional democracy into a Banana Republic," Venugopal said in a post on X.
"Using a dormant 19-year old case from 2007 to arrest our candidate - minutes after Mamata Banerjee ji extended support - is a sign that BJP will go to any lengths to hijack democracy," he alleged.
Venugopal added that Congress would not be intimidated and said the party would "stand tall against such misuse of power".
West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar initially said the party was not clear whether Pradhan had formally been arrested.
"What will I say about this? He hasn't been shown arrested yet. The police came and took him, but they haven't shown an arrest yet. It's not clear what's going on," Sarkar told ANI.
He later alleged that Pradhan had been campaigning in Nandigram after the scrutiny of nominations when a climate of fear emerged.
According to Sarkar, around 15 minutes after he spoke to Pradhan, people in plain clothes arrived at the hotel in Chandipur where the candidate was staying and took him away.
He claimed that those present were not initially given a clear reason and that Congress leaders were subsequently unable to locate Pradhan at the Chandipur or Nandigram police stations.
Sarkar said the Congress would approach the High Court and had already submitted a written complaint to the Election Commission.
"We want to know where our candidate is right now," he said.
He also said Congress welcomed support from political parties and individuals opposed to the BJP.
Kunal Ghosh strongly condemned Pradhan's arrest and alleged misuse of the police and Election Commission.
"The way the BJP state government has arrested Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in the Nandigram by-election, we, on behalf of Mamata Banerjee TMC, are vehemently protesting and condemning this. We demand his immediate release," Ghosh said.
"You are misusing the Election Commission and the police. When Mamata Banerjee took the political decision to announce support for the Congress candidate, you got scared. Why arrest that Congress candidate? This is nothing but a fascist dictatorship," he alleged.
Banerjee herself had earlier accused the BJP of using investigative and electoral mechanisms against Opposition leaders and parties.
She also alleged "vote theft" in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Bengal, calling the BJP a "Jhootha Party" and "Jumla Party", and accused it of attempting to end democracy, the Constitution and the education system.
Furthermore, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee also attacked the developments, questioning the withdrawal of the TMC candidate and subsequent support to Congress.
"For the past seven days, we learned they were trying to leave Nandigram to the Congress and contest from Rejinagar themselves. When the Congress refused, she became absolutely furious, declaring she wouldn't even sit with them in Parliament. Now, suddenly, their candidate withdrew their nomination; this too is a 'fix' with the BJP," he alleged.
On Mamata Banerjee's decision to back Milan Pradhan, he described it as a "case of sour grapes".
Earlier, in an X post invoking the political developments, Ritabrata wrote: "Politics is a permanent war; a war at every hour; a war at every minute; a war at every second - a war that changes interests, needs and priorities. Long live the eternal ideas & values of Democracy enshrined in India's Constitution."
The developments have dramatically altered the Nandigram contest ahead of the October 6 polling.
The seat fell vacant after Suvendu Adhikari gave up Nandigram and retained Bhabanipur following the 2026 Assembly elections. The constituency has long carried political significance for both Banerjee and Adhikari, with the 2007 anti-land acquisition movement in Nandigram becoming a defining chapter in Bengal politics.
The BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath, Congress has nominated Milan Pradhan, and the CPI has fielded Shanti Gopal Giri. 
The bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar, along with the Nagaon Lok Sabha by-election in Assam, are scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9.
For the Mamata-led faction, the immediate electoral challenge is now twofold: navigating a party identity stripped, for the time being, of its familiar "Flowers and Grass" symbol and contesting an important bypoll without its original candidate.
For Congress, the arrest of its Nandigram nominee has added another layer to an already fluid contest.
And for the BJP, the Opposition's allegations over the ECI order, the candidate's withdrawal and the arrest have become another political flashpoint, with the party rejecting accusations of institutional misuse.
As the October 6 contest draws closer, Nandigram has thus moved from a conventional by-election to a wider political battle involving party identity, election symbols, Opposition unity, an unexpected alliance between former rivals, and competing claims over the functioning of electoral and law-enforcement institutions.