New Delhi [India], September 9 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Wednesday regarding representations concerning the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), amid a dispute over the party's name, election symbol and funds between the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and the faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee.
The Commission has decided to meet a five-member delegation led by Ritabrata Banerjee on Saturday (September 12) in connection with the matter.
In its letter to Banerjee, the ECI said, "The Commission has decided to give an appointment to your delegation comprising of five members for a meeting on 12.09.2026 (Saturday) at 11:00 AM" at the India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM), Sector-13, Dwarka, Delhi.
The ECI's meeting with the Banerjee-led delegation comes ahead of the September 16 deadline for filing nominations for the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls in West Bengal.
Meanwhile, Rebel Trinamool Congress spokesperson Riju Dutta on Wednesday challenged TMC chief Mamata Banerjee ahead of the by-elections, saying rebel factions would not put up a candidate against her if she contests from Nandigram.
"If Mamata Banerjee files her nomination from Nandigram and contests the election there, the Rebel Trinamool Congress will not field any candidate against her," Dutta told ANI.
On the party's claim over the Trinamool Congress name and election symbol, Dutta said the party was confident of receiving the symbol from the Election Commission of India, claiming that it had followed all the required legal procedures.
"As the Trinamool Congress, we are very optimistic because we have followed all the legal rules and procedures laid down by the Election Commission. We are hopeful that we will receive the symbol in the next few days," he said.
Dutta said that with the by-election having been announced, multiple candidates could not contest using the same election symbol, adding that the party was hopeful of getting the symbol.
He also said that a five-member delegation of the party had met Election Commission officials, alleging that their candidates and workers had faced attacks and that false police cases were being filed against them since the announcement of the by-election.
"We want a level playing field and a fair, impartial election. Whoever the public chooses and votes for will win," Dutta said.
According to the official schedule released by the Commission, the formal Gazette notification for the elections will be issued on September 9, 2026. The deadline for filing nomination papers is September 16, followed by scrutiny of nominations on September 17. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until September 19.
The polling will be conducted on October 6 (Tuesday), and the counting of votes will take place on October 9 (Friday). The Commission stated that the entire election process is slated for completion before October 11, 2026.
In West Bengal, bypolls were necessitated in Rejinagar and Nandigram following the resignations of Humayun Kabir and Suvendu Adhikari, respectively, while in Assam, the Nagaon Parliamentary Constituency fell vacant following the resignation of Pradyut Bordoloi. (ANI)
ECI writes to WB LoP Ritabrata Banerjee, decides to meet five-member delegation over TMC representations
