Supreme Court Seeks Timeline from Election Commission on TMC Dispute Resolution

Supreme Court's Inquiry into TMC Name and Symbol Dispute

New Delhi: On Thursday, the Supreme Court requested the Election Commission to provide a timeline for resolving the ongoing dispute between two factions of the All India Trinamool Congress regarding its name and election symbol featuring flowers and grass.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, was addressing a petition filed by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, challenging the Election Commission's decision to freeze the TMC's name and symbol.

The bench instructed senior advocate D S Naidu, representing the Election Commission, to inform the court about the expected timeline for resolving the conflict over the TMC's name and symbol.

Banerjee's petition has been scheduled for a hearing on September 28.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Banerjee, noted that he could not request a stay on the upcoming election, referring to the West Bengal assembly bypoll set for October 6, as Justice Bagchi pointed out that the election process was already underway.

Sibal criticized the Election Commission's approach, arguing that it was inappropriate to make such decisions during the election process, leaving Banerjee without a means to contest the freezing order.

The Chief Justice suggested that the Election Commission should be directed to begin hearings on the matter promptly, allowing for daily sessions to present evidence and reach a decision.

On September 21, the Supreme Court agreed to prioritize Banerjee's plea for an urgent hearing.

The Election Commission had assigned different names and symbols to the rival factions after its interim ruling prohibited both groups from using the name 'All India Trinamool Congress' and reserved its symbol until a thorough determination of the dispute could be made.

Following discussions with leaders from both factions, led by Banerjee and Arup Roy, the Election Commission stated that the matter required a detailed examination under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order of 1968.