The Calcutta High Court has questioned the Election Commission over its decision to allot the ‘Envelope’ election symbol, earlier used by the Indian Secular Front, to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Trinamool faction for the upcoming by-polls. Hearing the ISF’s plea that the allotment was confusing voters in an election it too was contesting, the Court asked why the ECI had chosen that particular symbol when many others were available, observing that it should have kept it reserved.
The Calcutta High Court has extended its interim order permitting the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the All India Trinamool Congress to operate three party bank accounts that had been frozen, holding that the Election Commission’s interim arrangement on the party name and symbol cannot be treated as a final adjudication of the factional dispute. The order runs until January 29, 2027, or until further orders. The State had opposed the plea.
Trinamool Congress founder Mamata Banerjee has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s interim order freezing the party’s ‘All India Trinamool Congress’ name and ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol. The petition, filed on September 18, names the ECI and rival faction leader Ritabrata Banerjee as respondents. The Commission has, for now, allotted separate names and symbols to the two factions for the October 6 bypolls.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused interim relief against the West Bengal Assembly Speaker’s decision to recognise expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition. Justice Krishna Rao heard Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay’s plea challenging the appointment, citing party recommendation issues.
The Calcutta High Court is examining the legality of recognising rebel TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. Hearing Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay’s challenge, the Court directed that the Speaker’s recognition order be placed on record and scheduled further hearing for June 16.
The Trinamool Congress moved the Calcutta High Court challenging Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose’s decision recognising rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition instead of Sovandeb Chattopadhyay. The Court has scheduled the matter for hearing on June 11 amid escalating political tensions.