- 24 minutes ago
The Election Commission of India has issued an interim order freezing the All India Trinamool Congress name and its traditional 'Jora phul' (twin flowers) symbol ahead of crucial by-elections in Nandigram and Rajnagar. Under the order, neither the faction led by founder Mamata Banerjee nor the rebel camp headed by West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee can use the name or symbol until the dispute is resolved. Both factions were directed to submit three preferred temporary names and symbols. Mamata Banerjee submitted her response lodging a strong protest against the decision. The Ritabrata Banerjee faction welcomed the poll panel's move, asserting that control over a political party cannot be inherited. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other opposition parties extended support to Mamata Banerjee, criticising the Election Commission and the BJP. State BJP leaders remarked that the symbol freeze was inconsequential as the party had lost ground in the state.
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NewsTranscript
00:00This is, of course, with regards to one of the biggest stories we are tracking from the domestic political arena,
00:05the big scoop on Mamata versus our sweet TMC symbol fight that continues.
00:09Mamata Banerjee's faction has come out to say,
00:12All India's Rural Congress founder, Mamata Banerjee,
00:14had filed her response to the Election Commissioner of India at 11.36pm,
00:20that is, on Thursday night itself.
00:22Now, in her response, she's registered the strongest protest on the ECI's decision
00:26to freeze the name and symbol of the AITC.
00:30Founder and Chairperson of the AITC, Mamata Banerjee,
00:32has submitted response to the Election Commissions in Derrim order,
00:36seeking three preferred names and symbols under the strongest of protests.
00:40This is what sources have come out to now say to India today.
00:44Now, this is a big story, viewers, that we are shacking for you.
00:47There is a lot that's happening.
00:48Mamata Banerjee herself coming out to protest against this very move.
00:53She's, in fact, watched that protest with the very Election Commission of India.
00:57Last night itself, some of her party members, her faction members,
01:00have come out to say that they do not agree with this very order
01:04and that they will protest against it.
01:07And they've also come out to question the timing of this very order
01:10because at the end of the day,
01:12a party which has held a symbol for 30 long years right before bi-poles,
01:16them losing that very symbol will definitely affect perhaps their voters.
01:23Also, identifying, they might have difficulty identifying them with a new symbol,
01:27associating them with a new symbol, a new name altogether.
01:31This symbol that we are speaking of,
01:33the Jura Ful that she has, the TMC hat,
01:37that is the twin flowers with the grass that was sketched by her
01:42back in 1998 when the party was, in fact, founded and registered under the Election Commission of India.
01:48And now, 30 years later, we see, 29 years later, precisely,
01:52we see she's lost that very symbol.
01:55Now, for the Rito Proto Banerjee faction,
01:57well, they have already separated themselves out.
02:00So, for them to get a new name and for them to get a new symbol,
02:03yes, they have come out to flag this time and again
02:05that the TMC no longer stands for what the TMC used to,
02:08which is why they had come out to claim that they are the real TMC
02:11and not Mamata Banerjee or, for that matter, her nephew
02:14because most of them were miffed with Abhishek Banerjee more than Mamata Banerjee herself.
02:20So, for them to get a new symbol and a new party name,
02:23it would not be affecting that much into their vote bank.
02:28But yes, with the Nandigram and Rejinagar bi-polls coming in,
02:33this is a very crucial decision that we see.
02:36Indrajit Kundu back with us on the broadcast.
02:38Indrajit, we are inching closer to 11 a.m.,
02:41the deadline that's been given by the Election Commission
02:44at this given point to assort and submit the new names
02:49and the new symbols of their choice,
02:51three choices to be given by each faction.
02:53But we're talking about an identity that's been there for far too long,
02:5830 long years is for how long Mamata Banerjee had this beheld on to this very symbol.
03:03It's her very identity to an extent of the party she had founded,
03:08you know, branching away from the International Congress at this point.
03:16Well, absolutely, you know, this is a symbol that was designed by Mamata Banerjee herself
03:2128 years ago when the International Congress came into existence.
03:26And this has been the identity ever since the existence of a party.
03:30So, therefore, this is a huge setback and perhaps an emotional setback for Mamata Banerjee as well.
03:35She's the one who actually, you know, designed this party's logo.
03:40And this is what was used for the entire process over the past three decades.
03:47You know, she came to power three times chief minister, all using this very symbol.
03:52And now that stands frozen.
03:54Even though temporarily it's an interim order, but it is a huge setback.
03:58Because, remember, there is a rebel camp that is propped up,
04:02led by leader of the opposition, Ritabrota Banerjee.
04:05And they have challenged Mamata Banerjee's authority.
04:08And for the long period of time, in this past four months,
04:11the Trinamore Congress, Mamata Banerjee's camp has been saying
04:14that they think that the entire thing is illegal as far as a rebel camp is concerned.
04:19But the Election Commission is yet to decide.
04:21It has not decided until such time they finally resolve this factional feud
04:26within the Trinamore Congress, the symbol stands frozen.
04:29So, despite the Trinamore Congress's insistence or Mamata Banerjee's insistence,
04:34the Election Commission seems to have taken note of the issues raised by the rebel camp.
04:39It has not dismissed it.
04:40And therefore, the symbol stands frozen.
04:43So that is, in a sense, a big jolt, a big setback for the Mamata Banerjee camp,
04:49especially ahead of the crucial by-elections that are scheduled for October 1st week
04:54at Reginagar and, most crucially, at Nandigran.
04:59This definitely comes out to be a rather big blow and a setback
05:05to Mamata Banerjee that we are tracking.
05:07But yes, she's not without support from the opposition parties.
05:11And on that very note, let me, viewers, take you through some more news
05:15that we are learning about what other party leaders in the opposition
05:19have had to say on this entire matter.
05:29It's Rahul Gandhi who's now hit out at the Election Commission over the TMC symbol war.
05:34Rahul Gandhi has posted and said, and I quote,
05:37first the Shiv Sena, then the NCP, and now the Trinamore Congress.
05:41Pattern is same every time.
05:43BJP and the Election Commission collude to split a party
05:47and then its election symbol is snatched away.
05:50If an entire party can be stolen,
05:52then the theft of the votes of crores of Indians comes as no surprise.
05:57Stolen votes, stolen governments, now stolen parties,
06:01these have become symbols of our democratic decline.
06:04The Election Commission's constitutional responsibility
06:07is to safeguard the public mandate.
06:09Instead, they're aiding the very forces that overturn the people's verdict.
06:13But this fight is not just Mamata Banerjee's.
06:16It is the fight of every political party
06:18and every voter who desires a free and fair election.
06:22It's on the same lines, viewers,
06:23if you take a look of what the Congress has pressed on for far too long,
06:28a claim about vote chori,
06:30a claim about how across state elections,
06:35there have been discrepancies
06:37that they have come out to flag of the Election Commission.
06:40And now they have mounted on that very narrative
06:43with this very attack
06:44that this is how the Election Commission is being functioning.
06:48And this happens to any party
06:50which decides to go up against the BJP.
06:53Their party at the end of the day
06:54loses its existence or its identity.
06:57Amit Dhadwar joining me back on the broadcast.
06:59Amit, we've been discussing this at length.
07:02There are several parties that we see
07:05which have in fact lost their symbols,
07:08they have lost their names.
07:10And TMC, though it's a temporary decision for now,
07:14we do not know finally who is it
07:17out of the two factions will get this very party symbol.
07:20But for now, the end line is
07:21neither factions can use the very symbol
07:24that has been associated with Mamata Banerjee for so long.
07:33Absolutely right.
07:34Somebody who has founded the party
07:36has been the face of the political party
07:38is behind the ideology of that party
07:40as well as the symbol.
07:42You know, if you think of Mamata Banerjee
07:44or if you think of Tiranamul Congress,
07:46what is the imagery that comes to your mind?
07:48Joda fool.
07:49So these are bigger questions for any political party
07:51because, you know, it takes a lot of time
07:53to build or create an identity of a political party,
07:58the leader, name and symbol.
08:00So the moment you take away that name and symbol,
08:03it dilutes the entire identity of a political party
08:06and becomes really difficult to reach out
08:08to the same voter base and tell them
08:10and make them understand that,
08:12look, this is the new symbol of the political party,
08:14our political party that we have been voting for.
08:17That is why, you know,
08:19this becomes even bigger crisis for political parties
08:21when you are facing such freeze in your name
08:25and the symbol and you are in the opposition as well.
08:30So we have seen what happened with Arshav Sena,
08:33the UBT faction,
08:34what happened with the NCP, SP faction,
08:37Sharad Pawar faction
08:38and now we are speaking of TMC versus TMC
08:42where Mamata Banerjee faction is all set to lose
08:46or get their identity diluted
08:48when AITC name
08:50and the Joda fool symbol is getting frozen today itself,
08:54which has been frozen last night rather
08:56and new name and new symbol,
08:58the process of that has been,
09:01you know, initiated as well.
09:03Mamata Banerjee has sent her response,
09:04a strong response,
09:06a strong opposition to this decision as well.
09:08But like we were speaking,
09:10Congress party,
09:11the Samajwadi party,
09:12the Yamadmi party,
09:13all of these parties have come in support of Mamata Banerjee.
09:16Rahul Gandhi is now,
09:18you know, trying to build a bigger narrative.
09:21He, as he had spoken in the past about vote chori,
09:25now he is saying party chori.
09:27So he is trying to link the old instances
09:32and saying that,
09:33look, this is a trend
09:34that the election commission of India is facilitating,
09:37NCP, Shiv Sena and now TMC
09:39and he is also trying to make a claim
09:41that if a vote can be stolen in this country,
09:45parties can be stolen as well
09:47and this now becomes a bigger issue
09:49for the political parties,
09:51opposition political parties from here on
09:53and you will see that
09:54not only the Mamata Banerjee faction
09:56will be aggressively attacking
09:57the election commission of India
09:59and the BJP over this issue
10:01but also,
10:02almost all India bloc parties
10:04and even Amadmi party
10:05will be standing rock solid
10:07in support of Mamata Banerjee.
10:09Back to you.
10:09Absolutely, that's something we can already see,
10:11the mounting support for Mamata Banerjee
10:13with all of these remarks coming in
10:15from the different leaders
10:16but it's not a one-way battle that we see,
10:20it is a two-way war of words that's erupted
10:23because the BJP has also been hitting back.
10:26In fact, BJP president,
10:28Bengal BJP president that is,
10:30Ramik Bhattacharya a little while back
10:31comes out to say
10:32that there is no issue
10:34with the party losing their symbol
10:36because the party has lost its existence
10:39in the state of West Bengal itself.
10:41Let's listen in to what exactly
10:42was said by him on the matter.
11:10This is where it all stands at this point.
11:13Let's quickly, in fact,
11:14take you through the gist of the very story
11:16of the development that's taken place
11:17for the last 24 hours.
11:19Amid, the TMC versus TMC.
11:21It's a big identity jolt
11:23for Mamata Banerjee viewers
11:24as the election commission
11:26has frozen the TMC name
11:28and the twin flower symbol
11:29for the upcoming bi-polls
11:31which is in Bengal
11:32popularly called Jura Ghashful.
11:34In an interim order,
11:36the poll panel has stated
11:37that neither Mamata Banerjee's faction
11:39nor the rival group
11:40headed by Rito Proto Banerjee
11:42will be allowed to use the TMC name
11:44or its traditional symbol
11:46until further orders.
11:48India Today has learned
11:49that Mamata has filed her response
11:50with the election commission
11:51in which she lodged
11:52her strongest protest
11:53against the election commission.
11:55India Today has also learned
11:56that Mamata Banerjee
11:57has submitted an alternative,
11:59temporary name and a symbol
12:00as asked by the election commission already.
12:02Meanwhile, Rito Proto Banerjee,
12:04who is currently the leader
12:05of opposition in West Bengal,
12:07also heads the group
12:09of the rebel TMC MLAs,
12:10welcomed the election commission order
12:12and said there is no room
12:13for dictatorship or fascism
12:14in a democracy,
12:15adding that control over a party
12:17cannot be inherited.
12:19Congress's Rahul Gandhi,
12:20meanwhile,
12:20has extended support
12:21to Mamata Banerjee
12:22and slammed the election commission
12:23and the BJP saying
12:24that if a party can be stolen,
12:26votes can be stolen
12:26and urged all to fight
12:28for free and fair elections.
12:30On the other hand,
12:31the BJP has also taken
12:32a potshot at Mamata,
12:33saying that it doesn't matter
12:34whether the TMC symbol
12:36stays or not
12:37as the party
12:37is finished and dead.
12:41The symbol is freezed
12:43and the name is freezed
12:45but the one thing is
12:46that the JNP
12:48is no place
12:48in the JNP
12:50is no place
12:51as a political party
12:52as a political party.
12:53This narrative
12:54is running
12:55on the symbol
12:56and the name
12:57of the election commission
12:59which is now
12:59the interim order
13:01is confirmed
13:04that there is
13:05no place
13:05in the family
13:06and the political party
13:08no place
13:10as a political party
13:11that the political party
13:11can't be
13:11as a political party
13:15that the party
13:16is not
13:17a political party
13:19and the people
13:20will not be
13:20doing it.
13:22There are accounts
13:23freez
13:23and the office
13:24that they have
13:26dropped
13:26and the MP
13:29is in the MLA
13:31is in the third
13:31and the MLA
13:32and the MLA
13:33is in the way
13:44the hearing had been taken place for nearly one hour 30 minutes we have pointed out election
13:51commission has also given the hearing we have said if this is correct their claim is that 2025 it has
13:59expired how they can be elected in 2026 that symbol is symbol has been issued by the mahmata manager
14:08that has been contested up to third what is the malice in this part malice of ritu prudov energy
14:16is that since he has not been chosen as the opposition leader he has played the entire game
14:29in indira gandhi ji ko bhi teen symbol unka history me hai aur us ke baad bhi eshiya ar mukti
14:37shurjo indira gandhi jindabaad yes logan tha didi ka jo symbol hai pehle kya hen symbol tha
14:44abh us ke baad kya hua didi ye akh abhi ka jo symbol hai wo symbol introduce kon kiya mamta
14:51didi
14:52ne kiya public accept keun keun keun kewa mamta didi ka symbol hai
14:59viewers with this temporary order that's coming from the election commission of uh not allowing
15:06either factions to be using this symbol let's also take you back to when this very symbol was founded
15:13at the end of the day whatever is the end result of this entire debate that's underway it is an
15:19end
15:20of an era that we're speaking of for now that is the history of tmc january 1998 january 1st in
15:27fact
15:281998 is when mamta banerji had formed the tmc after breaking away from the indian national congress
15:35that she was a part of herself 1998 again was when tmc won seven seats in the look sabha polls
15:42as a part of an independent party away from the entity of the indian national congress
15:51and then comes 2011 the historic victory for the tmc that had dethroned the left government after 34
15:59long years of rule and mamta banerji came out to become the chief minister again in 2014 tmc then gone
16:07went
16:08ahead and could be seen winning 34 out of the 42 loksabha seats in the west bengal 2016 tmc returned
16:17to power in west bengal with a larger majority and mandate in 2021 it retained power in west bengal
16:24for a third consecutive term but may 2026 is when that overturned that mandate was no longer there with
16:35the tmc tmc lost power in the state bjp formed the first government for the first time a state
16:41government in west bengal may 2026 in itself after the oath ceremony had taken place on one hand
16:51the other hand the tmc was starting to face its first cracks split in the tmc rebel emilies came out
16:58to claim control over the party and rebel mps joined a completely different party called the ncpi
17:07which was later acknowledged and recognized within the houses of the parliament as well that is the
17:1430 year long journey 28 years to be more precise long journey that we're bringing to you of the
17:19symbol of this name of this party the all india trinamool congress the fight currently that's over
17:27the tmc let's take you through what either sides have to say on one hand of course is the rithubrithu
17:32camp the rebel camp led by rithubrithubanerji himself who has to say that he welcomes the
17:36election commission's interim decision but mamata banerji says they're not and the faction says that
17:41they're not concerned by the symbol war at all whatever comes out of it they do not care for them
17:47they still represent that very ideology in the state again rithubrithubanerji's camp has to say no room
17:54for dictatorship in democracy mamata banerji's camp says indira gandhi two had three different symbols
18:01that were functioning at one point for the congress party that is this is going back to a time in
18:07history that has been referred to again rithubrithubanerji's camp has come out to say that political
18:13parties aren't private companies that you can dictate over mamata banerji's camp camp has to say that
18:20symbol adopted by didi becomes important that is of prime importance and this comes in as
18:26we have learned at india today that uh mamata banerji has already submitted a alternative name
18:33as well as an alternative symbol to the election commission as the deadline given was for 11 am
18:38today again rithubrithubanerji's camp has to say party control cannot be inherited taking pot
18:45shots at both mamata banerji and his and her nephew abhishek banerji which was basically the first claim
18:51over which they said that they were miffed against both of these leaders mamata banerji's camp says
18:57people rally behind mamata banerji she's the one who is the face of the party is the person that the
19:04people have their trust with the two different remarks and narratives coming in at this point of time
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