TMC Symbol Stays with Mamata Banerjee, Says MP Sougata Roy Amid Party Rift

West Bengal’s political arena is buzzing again. In a recent press briefing, Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy made it crystal clear: the party’s cherished election symbol stays exactly where it always has – with Mamata Banerjee.

“The symbol remains wherever Mamata Banerjee is,” Roy told reporters, brushing aside rumors that the emblem could be hijacked by dissenters. He added that a scheduled rally in Serampore had received the necessary permissions, but the party had chosen to postpone it for now – a decision he said was purely logistical.

Meanwhile, the simmering feud has taken a formal turn. A five‑member delegation, fronted by the party’s own Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, Ritabrata Banerjee, arrived in Delhi last weekend. Their destination? The India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management, where they met the Election Commission of India (ECI) after being summoned for a hearing on September 12.

Ritabrata’s faction, which claims the loyalty of roughly 60 of the 80 newly elected TMC MLAs, argues that the party’s name, emblem and even its bank accounts should now be under their control. They contend that Mamata’s defeat in the April assembly polls created a leadership vacuum they are ready to fill.

The ECI, caught between two competing claims, sent a formal letter to the rebel group confirming the meeting slot. In its note, the commission emphasized the need to hear both sides before making any decision about the “real” Trinamool Congress.

For now, Sougata Roy’s message is simple and unambiguous – the iconic flower that flies on TMC ballot papers will continue to represent Mamata Banerjee’s leadership. Whether the Election Commission will side with her or entertain the rebel petition remains to be seen, but the drama promises to keep West Bengal’s voters on edge.