India, July 7 -- The announcement of Rajya Sabha bypolls for three seats in West Bengal on Monday may have set a deadline-of-sorts for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to decide on rival claims for the Trinamool Congress party name and symbol after both factions - one led by Ritabrata Banerjee and another by Mamata Banerjee - laid claim to being the real party.

The July 24 by-elections were triggered by the resignations of Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik last month after the TMC lost the assembly elections in West Bengal.

Nominations for the three seats will have to be filed by July 14. If both factions nominate separate candidates, ECI will have to take a call on who is the TMC candidate by that date, or...