The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to set a realistic timeframe for resolving the dispute over the Trinamool Congress’s name and reserved symbol, stating that the matter should not be prolonged indefinitely. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant heard Mamata Banerjee’s plea challenging the ECI’s interim order that froze the party’s name and its “Flowers and Grass” symbol amid a conflict between rival factions.
The court urged the poll panel to provide a clear deadline that would allow both sides to present evidence while preventing unnecessary delay. The bench directed the ECI to indicate a proposed timeline and adjourned the case for a further hearing on September 28. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Banerjee, argued that the ECI’s order came after the bye‑elections had begun and that it should have been issued earlier to give the affected faction a remedy.
Representatives of the rival faction, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, said they were ready to cooperate with the proceedings but opposed an October deadline, citing the complexity of the factual issues. Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul noted that the dispute involved detailed affidavits and that a short deadline would be unreasonable, while also affirming the ECI’s authority to issue interim directions.
The interim arrangement bars both factions from using the established party name “All India Trinamool Congress” and the reserved symbol, and assigns the Banerjee‑led group the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” with a “football player” symbol, while the Banerjee‑led rival receives the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and an “envelope” symbol for the upcoming by‑elections. The Supreme Court will hear the case again on September 28.
