‘Twin Flower’ Battle: Mamata, Ritabrata Factions Move EC Over Trinamool Name, Party Symbol

Published 24 June 2026 · local

‘Twin Flower’ Battle: Mamata, Ritabrata Factions Move EC Over Trinamool Name, Party Symbol Published By, Last Updated: June 24, 2026, 10:28 IST A day after

‘Twin Flower’ Battle: Mamata, Ritabrata Factions Move EC Over Trinamool Name, Party Symbol Published By, Last Updated: June 24, 2026, 10:28 IST A day after ousting Mamata Banerjee as chairperson, rebel MLAs led by LoP Ritabrata Banerjee moved the EC seeking recognition as the official TMC. Mamata vs Ritabrata: TMC Symbol Battle Reaches Election Commission The battle for control of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) intensified after rival factions led by Mamata Banerjee and West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) with competing national working committee lists. The move has formally opened a dispute over the party’s name, election symbol and organisational control, with both camps claiming to represent the ‘real’ Trinamool Congress. Rebels seek recognition as official TMC A day after removing Mamata Banerjee as the party chairperson and appointing a new national working committee, rebel MLAs approached election authorities seeking recognition as the official All India Trinamool Congress. On Monday, the rebel faction held a special session at a hotel in New Town, Kolkata. Claiming the support of 65 of the party’s 80 legislators, the group voted by voice vote to remove Mamata Banerjee from the post of chairperson. The legislators elected Howrah Central MLA Arup Roy as the new party chief. Roy served as a minister in the Trinamool Congress government from 2011 to 2026. The rebels argued that a constitutional crisis had emerged under Article 20 of the party constitution because the three-year tenure of the national working committee formed in February 2022 had expired.

On Tuesday evening, rebel MLAs visited the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer and submitted a letter seeking recognition as the official party and rights over the “jora ghash phool" or twin-flower election symbol. Mamata camp submits rival list In response, Mamata Banerjee submitted a separate list to the Election Commission, asserting that her faction remains the legitimate Trinamool Congress. The list includes Mamata Banerjee as chairperson, Abhishek Banerjee as national general secretary and Lok Sabha leader, Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen as joint secretaries, Subhashish Chakraborty as treasurer and Sovondeb Chatterjee as leader in the Assembly. The latest challenge comes at a difficult time for Banerjee, who is already dealing with a breakaway group of Lok Sabha MPs aligned with the NDA and the resignation of three Rajya Sabha MPs. The rebels have also indicated they may seek control of the party symbol and the organisation’s assets. Battle over symbol and finances The dispute has widened beyond organisational control. According to the rebels, they enjoy the support of more than two-thirds of the party’s MLAs and several elected councillors across the state. “We are the real Trinamool Congress. We have a Leader of the Opposition as per our choice, the choice of more than two-thirds in the Assembly. Obviously, we have a claim on the symbol," a senior rebel MLA said. The faction has also sought an audit of the party’s finances. Following a complaint by the rebels, TMC bank accounts containing Rs 440 crore have reportedly been frozen.