Interests of political party to serve, says Mamata after losing TMC name and symbol; he vows to fight back

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a press conference at Kalighat in Kolkata on September 18, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday (September 18, 2026) said she will fight and come out stronger after the Trinamool Congress lost its name and party symbol ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

The interests of the political party are being catered for, Ms Banerjee said in a press conference a day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) froze the “grass and two flowers” symbol along with the name “All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)”.

“Today is a black day in the history of democracy. Which is unfortunate, unconstitutional, anti-democratic, politically biased. The interests of a political party are being served,” she said.

On 17 September, the commission barred both factions, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction of the party, from using the party’s symbol and name in the upcoming Nandigram and Rejinagar assembly elections in West Bengal scheduled for 6 October.

Pointing her guns at the election body, Ms Banerjee said a “bogus” Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was organized, followed by a “not so clean” election. “I don’t respect the individual. He works for BJP. He did fake SIR, fake votes. CRPF did the census. He fired the census agent. He hijacked the whole thing,” All India Trinamool Congress president Mamata said.

The ECI has given Ms Banerjee’s faction the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ with the ‘football player’ symbol for the upcoming polls.

“We have temporarily submitted alternative names and symbol preferences just because the by-election process is already underway. That does not mean we accept what has happened. We will go back to our original symbol,” she said.

Ms. Banerjee also targeted the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction of the party, which was given the name “Trinamool Democratic Congress”, saying they had betrayed their mother, which was the party’s name and symbol.

“If anyone really respected the Trinamool Congress, they would not have insulted his mother like this by taking away his symbol and making him an orphan. Taking away the symbol shows that they never loved Trinamool,” she said.

Ms Banerjee founded the party in 1998 and designed the symbol herself. During the press conference, she said that the party came into existence after a long struggle and the party was 29 years old when the symbol and name were snatched from it.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction said they had saved the Trinamool symbol from embarrassment. “This is a temporary decision for the bypass. The symbol of the grass and the twin flower will remain with us. We have saved this symbol from shame. We have accepted what the ECI has ordered us to do. We have faith in the agency,” said Opposition Chief Whip Akhruzamman, who is a key member of the faction.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and state party president Samik Bhattacharya said Mamata Banerjee losing her party symbol and name was an intervention of God.

“It was the Election Commission’s decision. She was not able to hold her party together, BJP has no direct role in this. In the coming days, whoever survives, these people (Trinamool) will not survive because whoever flaunts will face consequences from God,” Mr Adhikari said.

The polls for Nandigram and Rejinagar are scheduled for October 6.

Published – 18 Sep 2026 23:37 IST