The Mamata Banerjee faction on Monday launched a temporary new logo for its new party, ‘Mamata TMC’, featuring a football-playing figure. The symbol was earlier allotted to Raja Bhaiya’s Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) and Telangana’s Yuga Tulsi Party.
After the TMC split, the Election Commission froze the party’s original name and ‘two flowers and grass’ symbol on September 17. The Mamata and rebel Arup Roy factions were then given new identities.
The Arup faction was allotted ‘Democratic TMC’ and the ‘envelope’ symbol. Both factions will contest the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls on October 6 under their new identities.
2 political parties that got the football player symbol
Raja Bhaiya’s party, Jansatta Dal (Democratic): The party initially received a football player as its temporary election symbol. Later, in December 2021, the Election Commission allotted the party its permanent election symbol, the “Saw.” Raja Bhaiya (Raghuraj Pratap Singh) formed the party in 2018.
Yuga Tulsi Party of Telangana: The Yuga Tulsi Party of Telangana received the football player symbol. The party contested the 2025 Jubilee Hills by-election using this symbol.
Both TMC factions have candidates in the fray in Rejinagar
The first direct electoral test of this new identity will be in Rajnagar, where both rival Trinamool factions are contesting. In Rajnagar, the two Trinamool factions are facing off, while in Nandigram, the Mamata Banerjee faction has withdrawn in support of the Congress candidate.
The situation is different in Nandigram. Mamata Banerjee’s candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew from the contest after meeting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Banerjee then supported Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, who was later arrested in connection with the 2007 Nandigram land acquisition agitation.
Congress’ Nandigram candidate Milan Pradhan has been sent to jail till October 5 in connection with cases registered at Khejuri police station in East Medinipur.
On 17 September, the Commission blocked the old name and symbol
On 17 September, the Election Commission heard the claims of both factions of the Trinamool Congress. The Commission ordered that neither faction could use the party’s existing name and symbol until a final decision was reached in the dispute.
The decision came on the last day for filing nominations for the by-elections. The Commission then asked both factions to suggest alternative names and free symbols so that the election process could move forward.
A day later, the Commission assigned temporary identities to both factions. This turned the internal dispute over ownership of the party into a contest on the ballot between two different names and symbols.
For the Mamata faction, the choice of name also carries a political message. “Mamata” has been added to the interim name. The leader’s name has replaced the old organisational name.
The football player symbol gives the faction a new visual identity to present to voters. With little time available, it has become necessary to take this identity to people quickly.
Mamata Banerjee challenges commission’s decision in Supreme Court
This dispute also has a legal dimension. Mamata Banerjee has challenged the Election Commission’s decision to freeze the party’s old name and symbol in the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to urgently schedule a hearing on her petition. The opposing side will also be given an opportunity to present its arguments.
This legal battle could ultimately decide the party’s original name and symbol. However, it is important to run the political campaign without waiting for the verdict.
The immediate challenge before the Mamata faction is to make the football-player symbol recognisable enough by 6 October for voters to identify it easily.
This is a major challenge for a party whose symbol has been one of the most recognisable visual markers in Bengal politics for years.
The new logo attempts to capture this change in a single image. It includes Mamata’s name, the words Trinamool Congress and the unfamiliar football-player symbol.
The faction is contesting an election in which its traditional electoral identity has been suspended for the time being.
