India, Sept. 25 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to respond by Monday on the time it is likely to take to decide the dispute between the two rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) on claim to the party election symbol and name.

Hearing a petition filed by AITC founder Mamata Banerjee challenging the interim order of the ECI freezing use of the original party symbol and name, the apex court said that the ECI has power to issue an interim order as the election schedule for by-elections in the state have been announced. However, the SC noted that the interim order is to operate till the final adjudication of the dispute for which it wished to get a response from the ECI.

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