Kolkata, September 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) over its decision to allot the ‘envelope’ election symbol, previously used by the Indian Secular Front (ISF), to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress ahead of the October 6 Assembly bypolls in West Bengal.
Justice Krishna Rao, hearing ISF leader Nawsad Siddique’s petition challenging the decision, questioned why the poll panel chose the ‘envelope’ symbol when 183 other free symbols were available.
The court observed that the ECI should act fairly and impartially and questioned the decision to allot a symbol already being used by another party contesting the same election. The court also expressed concern that such decisions could create confusion during elections and lead to additional litigation.
Siddique, the ISF’s lone MLA in the West Bengal Assembly, has challenged the withdrawal of the ‘envelope’ symbol. The ISF had used the symbol in previous elections, while Siddique won the Bhangar Assembly seat using it in 2021 and 2026.
For the upcoming bypolls, the ECI has allotted the ‘almirah’ symbol to the ISF, while the ‘envelope’ has been assigned to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Democratic Trinamool Congress.
The bypolls to Nandigram in East Midnapore district and Rejinagar in Murshidabad district are scheduled for October 6. The ISF is contesting the Nandigram bypoll.
During the hearing, the ECI’s counsel argued that the ISF, being an unrecognised political party, does not have a permanent right to a particular election symbol. The poll panel has maintained that symbols are reserved for recognised political parties and that unrecognised parties can be allotted symbols from the list of free symbols.
The court’s observations came amid the wider dispute within the Trinamool Congress, following the ECI’s decision to freeze the party’s existing name and ‘flowers and grass’ symbol for the upcoming bypolls. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has been allotted the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘football player’ symbol, while the Ritabrata Banerjee faction has been allotted the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘envelope’ symbol.
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