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The ‘rebel but majority’ faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly, led by expelled party MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, will meet the full bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI) at its New Delhi headquarters on Thursday to stake its claim over the party’s election symbol and funds.
The rebel faction had earlier sought an appointment with the ECI’s full bench, and according to Ritabrata Banerjee, the Commission has now scheduled the meeting for Thursday.
A delegation of 10 legislators from the rebel camp, led by Banerjee, will leave for New Delhi on Wednesday evening to attend the hearing.
On June 22, the rebel legislators constituted a new 30-member National Working Committee along with a 10-member sub-committee.
As part of the restructuring, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was removed as the party’s national chairperson, and veteran MLA Arup Roy was appointed to the post.
Since then, the internal conflict has intensified, with the rebel camp’s legal team submitting resolutions and supporting documents to the ECI.
The Trinamool Congress currently has 80 MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly, with the rebel camp claiming the support of 60 legislators, while the remaining 20 continue to back Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee.
The key legal dispute centres on control of the party’s name and election symbol.
Under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, a regional party must secure at least six per cent of valid votes and have at least two MLAs to retain its symbol.
The rebel camp argues that its legislative strength translates into an estimated 48 lakh votes, comfortably exceeding the required threshold, while the original faction’s estimated vote share falls well short of the benchmark.
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