Kolkata, Sept. 28 -- The Supreme Court reportedly directed the Election Commission on Monday to settle the dispute over the Trinamool Congress's name and election symbol between rival factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy within three months.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana directed both sides to complete their pleadings and submit all necessary documents and evidence before the poll panel within four weeks. The three-month period for the ECI will begin after the pleadings are completed.
The commission had sought six months to decide the dispute, but the court declined the request. "Three months is good enough," Justice Bagchi observed. When the ECI's counsel said the timeline would be difficult, the court said the commission could approach it if any exceptional difficulty arose.
The directions came while hearing a petition filed by former Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee challenging the ECI's decision to freeze the TMC's original name and symbol pending a final determination.
For the upcoming Bengal bypolls, the commission has allotted Banerjee's faction the name "Mamata All India Trinamool Congress" and the "Football Player" symbol. The rival group has been recognised as "Democratic Trinamool Congress" and allotted the "Envelope" symbol.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.