Chief of Opposition within the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP)-led authorities at Centre and the Election Fee of India (ECI) over its interim order freezing the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)’s title and “Flowers and Grass” election image.
Gandhi accused the BJP and the ballot panel of working collectively to weaken opposition events, calling “get together theft” the most recent signal of India’s democratic decline.
The Congress chief’s remarks got here a day after the ECI barred rival factions of the Trinamool Congress from utilizing the get together’s title and conventional election image till the management dispute is resolved.
Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP) nationwide convenor Arvind Kejriwal additionally questioned the transfer, asking whether or not elections could be gained “this fashion”.
Rahul Gandhi calls out BJP-ECI ‘sample’
Gandhi alleged that the BJP and the ECI had adopted an identical sample in disputes involving Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Celebration (NCP) and now the Trinamool Congress.
“First Shiv Sena, then NCP, and now Trinamool Congress. Each time, the identical sample—BJP and the Election Fee be part of forces to separate a celebration. Then its election image is snatched away. When a whole get together might be stolen, it is hardly stunning that the votes of thousands and thousands of Indians might be stolen too. Vote theft. Authorities theft. Now get together theft—these have change into symbols of our democratic decline,” he mentioned in a submit on X.
The Congress chief additional alleged that the ECI was failing to fulfil its constitutional duty to guard voters and was as an alternative serving to the BJP overturn election outcomes.
“The ECI’s constitutional duty is to guard the mandate—however as an alternative, it is aiding these very forces that overturn the folks’s verdict. This struggle is not simply Mamata Banerjee’s. It is the struggle of each political get together, each voter who desires free and honest elections,” he mentioned.
Kejriwal questions EC order
Kejriwal additionally reacted to the ECI’s choice forward of the October 6 bypolls in West Bengal’s Nandigram and Rejinagar meeting constituencies.
“Modi ji’s birthday present to the nation. Will they win the election this fashion?” Kejriwal posted on X.
His remarks got here amid the continued dispute between the 2 Trinamool Congress factions, each of which have fielded candidates for the upcoming bypolls whereas staking declare to the get together’s conventional title and image.
What the ECI mentioned in its interim order
The ECI handed the interim order on Thursday after listening to the rival factions at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi and searching for their remaining submissions.
The Fee barred each teams from utilizing the title “All India Trinamool Congress” or the get together’s “Flowers and Grass” image till the dispute is lastly resolved underneath Para 15 of the Symbols Order.
The order said: “Neither of the 2 teams led by Shri Arup Roy (Petitioner) and the opposite led by Ms Mamata Banerjee (Respondent) shall be permitted to make use of the title of the get together ‘All India Trinamool Congress ‘.”
The ECI mentioned the interim association was supposed “to put each the rival teams on even keel and to guard their rights and pursuits”. The order will stay in drive for the upcoming by-elections, pending a remaining choice on the management dispute.
The 2 factions have been directed to submit three most well-liked names by which their respective teams could also be recognised, with or irrespective of the father or mother get together, by 11 am on September 18. They need to additionally present three most well-liked free symbols from the Fee’s notified checklist, from which one image shall be allotted to their candidates for the bypolls.
Nandigram, Rejinagar bypolls on October 6
The dispute comes forward of the October 6 by-elections in Nandigram and Rejinagar, the place each factions have fielded candidates.
The Nandigram seat fell vacant after chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who retained Bhabanipur after defeating Mamata Banerjee within the 2026 Meeting elections, vacated the constituency.
The Rejinagar seat turned vacant following the resignation of Aam Janata Unnayan Celebration founder Humayun Kabir, who had additionally gained from Nowda.
Polling for each constituencies is scheduled for October 6, with counting set to happen on October 9.