TMC Name-Symbol Row: Mamata Banerjee Camp Unveils Football Player Logo
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday formally launched a new party logo featuring its interim election symbol, a 'football player'. The design rollout comes as the party races to establish a distinct visual identity for voters following the ECI interim freeze on the original TMC party name and its traditional 'flowers-and-grass' symbol.
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress on Monday unveiled a new logo featuring a football player, its interim election symbol, as it prepares for the October 6 West Bengal bypolls without the partyâs traditional name and âFlowers and Grassâ symbol. The faction has also been assigned the interim name âMamata All India Trinamool Congressâ by the Election Commission of India (ECI), TOI reported.
The new logo places the football player at the centre, with âMamata All India Trinamool Congressâ written around it against a blue background. The design also incorporates saffron, white and green. Mamata Banerjee Moves SC Against ECI Order Freezing TMC Name, âFlowers and Grassâ Symbol.
Mamata Camp Begins Symbol Campaign
Party sources said office-bearers, leaders, workers and elected representatives have been asked to publicise the new symbol through their respective platforms so that voters can identify it ahead of the bypolls.
Leaders from the Mamata-led faction began sharing the new logo on social media on Monday afternoon. The exercise comes with roughly two weeks remaining before polling. The new identity will be directly tested in Rejinagar, where candidates backed by the two rival Trinamool factions remain in the contest. Why Mamata Banerjee Backed Congress Candidate in Nandigram Bypoll.
ECI Freezes Original TMC Name and Symbol
The development follows the Election Commissionâs September 17 interim order, under which both rival factions were barred from using the existing All India Trinamool Congress name and its reserved âFlowers and Grassâ symbol while the dispute over control of the party is considered. The poll panel subsequently assigned temporary identities to the two groups to allow the by-election process to continue.
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction received the name âMamata All India Trinamool Congressâ and the football-player symbol. The rival faction led by Arup Roy was assigned the name âDemocratic Trinamool Congressâ and an envelope symbol.
The ECI's interim arrangement followed competing claims over the party's identity and came during the by-election process.
Supreme Court Agrees to Urgently List Mamataâs Plea
The dispute has also moved to the Supreme Court. Mamata Banerjee challenged the ECI's decision to freeze the original party name and symbol.
On Monday, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant agreed to have the petition listed urgently. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Banerjee, sought an early hearing, arguing that the ECI decision had been taken while the dispute was still under consideration. The court indicated that both sides would have an opportunity to present their submissions when the matter is heard.
Nandigram and Rejinagar Bypolls
The change in party identity comes ahead of bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar scheduled for October 6. The two constituencies are taking different electoral routes. In Nandigram, the Mamata-led faction's candidate Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew from the contest, after which Banerjee's faction extended support to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan.
In Rejinagar, however, the rival Trinamool factions remain in the electoral contest, making it the first direct test of their newly assigned names and symbols.
What Happens to the Original TMC Identity?
For now, the football-player symbol and the modified party name are interim arrangements for the electoral process. The larger dispute over the original All India Trinamool Congress identity and the âFlowers and Grassâ symbol remains unresolved. The Supreme Court proceedings could affect the status of the original name and symbol, while the ECI continues with the process concerning the competing claims.
For the upcoming bypolls, however, the immediate focus is on ensuring that voters can distinguish between the two factions and their respective names and symbols on the ballot.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 21, 2026 07:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
