‘Why leeway to rebels for submitting response,’ Mamata asks in letter to EC
Times of India | 14 July 2026
Kolkata: In a letter to the Election Commission on Sunday, former Bengal CM and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee questioned the “leeway” and extra time being provided to the party’s rebel camp to respond to claims over the TMC party name and symbol. Within 24 hours of her letter, Trinamool stated that it had been informed by the poll panel that the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction has now been given until July 25 to respond.
In her two-page letter to the EC, Mamata noted that the poll body on July 2 had sought the “loyalist camp” response to the rebels’ claims by 5.30pm on July 6. While her party complied, the rebels were given an extension until July 10. Mamata wrote to the EC highlighting that her party was denied a similar breather.
Mamata wrote, “Your good office has maintained a stoic silence, giving further elbow-room to Shri Banerjee, demonstrating your inclination towards the mala fide cause of Ritabrata Banerjee. Therefore, it is vehemently asserted that the reply submitted from the end of the undersigned should be considered at the earliest without giving further time to Ritabrata Banerjee.” After her letter, the EC allowed the rebel camp another extention, until July 25.
Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra said, “The EC is expected to function as a neutral constitutional authority and provide a level playing field. What appears to be happening instead is that, after we submit our reply, our documents are allegedly shared with the other camp, giving them additional time to prepare their response based on ours. That is not how a fair process is supposed to work. You cannot have a compromised referee. We believe the EC must demonstrate impartiality and complete its inquiry on the basis of the reply submitted within the prescribed timeline.”
Not ruling out legal action, Moitra added, “...If it is true that the EC has shared our documents with the other side, then what exactly is causing the delay? The facts are already before them... We are not rushing to court at this stage. We will wait and see what the Commission decides before taking the next course of action.”