Kolkata, July 6 -- The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Monday submitted a detailed response, along with supporting documents, to the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi over the rival faction's claim to the party's name and twin-flower symbol. Calling the rival faction's claim over the party invalid, TMC submitted that according to the party's constitution, the organisational committees would remain valid till 2027.
Party MPs Kalyan Banerjee, Mahua Moitra and Sagarika Ghose visited the Commission's office in New Delhi and filed the reply.
Speaking to reporters after submitting the response, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said the party had filed a "very detailed reply" to the Election Commission in response to a representation made by rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee.
Banerjee said the submission included a letter from party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, along with documents detailing the formation of the Trinamool Congress in 1997 and the evolution of the party's constitution. He said records of the organisational elections held in 2022, in which Mamata Banerjee was elected as the party chairperson, were also submitted to the Commission.
Rejecting the rival camp's claim that the party's working committee had ceased to exist after three years, Banerjee said that the party constitution had been amended over the years to extend the tenure from three years to four years in 2000 and subsequently to five years in 2006, with the changes communicated to the Election Commission.
Accordingly, he said, Mamata Banerjee's present tenure as party chairperson remains valid until 2027.
He argued that the rebel leaders had contested the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections on the Trinamool symbol authorised by Mamata Banerjee. "If they say the party ceased to exist after 2025, then on what basis did they contest the election? Their own argument would make their election illegal. They should resign immediately," said Banerjee.
Calling the actions of the Ritabrata camp "completely fraudulent", he alleged that the rival faction had violated the party constitution by bypassing mandatory organisational procedures and notices. Banerjee asserted that its entire exercise was legally untenable. He also accused the group of acting with the backing of the BJP and Suvendu Adhikari.
Throwing down the gauntlet, Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress would defeat the rival faction "both in the court of law and in the court of the people."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.