CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The Calcutta High Court has dismissed a petition filed by the Indian Secular Front (ISF) challenging the Election Commission’s decision to allot the ‘envelope’ election symbol to the newly formed Democratic Trinamool Congress (DTC) for the upcoming West Bengal bypolls. Justice Krishna Rao dismissed the plea on September 30.
The ISF, led by MLA Naushad Siddiqui, had approached the court after the Election Commission allotted the party the ‘almirah’ symbol instead of the envelope symbol. The party argued that it had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2026 Assembly elections using the envelope symbol and that assigning it to another party could potentially confuse voters.
The dispute concerns the October 6 bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The envelope symbol has been allotted to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led DTC, while the ISF will contest using the almirah symbol.
During the proceedings, the Election Commission argued that the envelope was a free symbol and that its earlier allotment to the ISF was limited to specific elections. The poll panel also submitted that the ISF is a registered but unrecognised political party and therefore does not have a permanent right over a particular free symbol.
The High Court had questioned the Election Commission’s decision during earlier hearings, including why the symbol was reassigned when the ISF had also sought it. However, the court ultimately declined to interfere with the symbol allocation and dismissed the ISF petition.
With the ruling, the DTC will retain the envelope symbol for the Nandigram bypoll, while the ISF will use the almirah symbol. The development comes ahead of the October 6 West Bengal Assembly by-elections.
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