Mamata Faction Intensifies Campaign to Familiarise Voters with New ‘Football Player’ Symbol
Mamata Banerjee's faction promotes its new party identity across Rejinagar as the October 6 bypoll approaches.
Kolkata, Sep 21: The Mamata Banerjee led faction of the Trinamool Congress has launched a campaign to familiarise voters in Rejinagar with its newly allotted ‘football player’ election symbol ahead of the October 6 bypoll.
Party leaders have asked office bearers, workers and elected representatives to promote the new logo and the interim party name, ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’, through social media and other platforms. The faction unveiled the logo on Monday as it prepares for its first electoral test under the new identity.
The new logo features a football player at the centre, with the words ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ displayed in white against a blue background. Saffron, white and green have also been incorporated into the design.
The campaign began in the Rejinagar Assembly constituency, where party workers were seen drawing graffiti featuring the new symbol as the faction’s candidate, Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, started campaigning.
A TMC leader said the Election Commission’s temporary change in the party’s name and symbol would not alter the faction’s political identity, adding that workers were taking the new symbol to voters across the constituency.
The campaign follows the Election Commission’s September 17 decision to freeze the use of the Trinamool Congress name and its traditional ‘flowers and grass’ symbol amid a dispute between rival factions over the party’s identity.
The poll panel subsequently allotted separate interim names and symbols to the two groups for the October 6 bypolls. The Mamata faction was given ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘football player’ symbol, while the rival faction received the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘envelope’ symbol.
With the bypolls approaching, the Mamata camp has little time to establish recognition of its new electoral identity among voters. Party sources said leaders, workers and elected representatives had been instructed to circulate the logo and explain the new symbol through their respective platforms.
The dispute has also moved to the legal arena. Mamata Banerjee has challenged the Election Commission’s order before the Supreme Court, which on Monday agreed to urgently list the plea for hearing. The rival faction is also expected to get an opportunity to present its submissions.
While the legal proceedings may determine the future of the original party name and symbol, the Mamata faction is preparing for the immediate electoral contest under its temporary identity.
Rejinagar will see the two rival Trinamool factions contesting under their newly assigned names and symbols, making voter recognition a key part of the campaign before polling day.
