New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) The Election Commission will meet a five-member delegation of the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress on September 12 in connection with the June 22 representation received by the poll panel from the group, which claims to be the “real” TMC and has staked a claim to the name and symbol of the party.
According to an official communication issued on Wednesday, the appointment has been fixed for 11 am at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in Dwarka, Delhi.
The communication, addressed to Ritabrata Banerjee, refers to his representation dated June 22 on the issue concerning the All India Trinamool Congress, a recognised political party in West Bengal, Meghalaya
and Tripura.
“I am directed to refer to your letter dated 22.06.2026 on the subject cited above and to state that the Commission has decided to give an appointment to your delegation comprising five members for a meeting on 12.09.2026 (Saturday) at 11:00 AM,” said the letter by EC Secretary Ashwani Kumar Mohal.
The development comes amid a prolonged organisational dispute within the TMC following the emergence of the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee.
His faction had approached the EC in June, claiming the support of a majority of TMC MLAs and asserting that it represented the “real” Trinamool Congress. It had also submitted documents relating to an organisational exercise conducted by the faction.
A 10-member delegation led by Ritabrata Banerjee had subsequently met the full Commission in July and raised issues concerning the party’s organisational structure, its funds and the election symbol.
The dissident camp has already sought to demonstrate that it commands substantial support within the party’s elected representatives. In the West Bengal Assembly, 65 of the TMC’s 80 MLAs had backed Ritabrata Banerjee’s claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition, rejecting the nominee supported by the Mamata Banerjee camp.
The rebels subsequently convened a special session, elected senior MLA Arup Roy as chairperson and announced a parallel national leadership structure, arguing that the existing leadership had lost the confidence of a majority of elected representatives.
The confrontation then moved to Parliament, where 20 Lok Sabha MPs aligned themselves with the newly floated NCPI.
Former West Bengal chief minister and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee also wrote to the EC on August 31 seeking an early decision on the status of her party and the rebel faction led by Banerjee. PTI NAB AO RT RT
