Morning Digest: ECI bars both TMC factions from using party name, symbol for Bengal bypolls; Talks restart for Bangladesh PM’s India visit, and more

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Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. | Photo Credit: ANI

The Election Commission of India (ECI) in an interim order on Thursday (September 17, 2026) barred both factions of the Trinamool Congress from using the party symbol and name in the coming Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal.

After a brief disruption in ties, India and Bangladesh have resumed official-level talks to firm up plans for a visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to New Delhi, diplomatic sources have confirmed. The Hindu was told that officials on both sides have continued meetings in Dhaka and are working on setting up an agenda for the visit that will include regularisation of bilateral trade.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday (September 17, 2026) cautioned that it could stay the counting of votes and declaration of results of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections if it was not satisfied with the action taken by the authorities over alleged violence and hooliganism during the campaign. Voting is scheduled for Friday (September 18, 2026) and counting for September 19.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday (September 17, 2026) expressed concern over persistent deficiencies in passenger amenities and sanitation across railway stations, with a recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit finding that bio-toilets, projected as a game changer by the Indian Railways, were found deficient or non-functional at 491 of the 512 stations inspected.

The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 17, 2026) agreed to give “precedence” in hearing to a writ petition raising discrepancies in the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Delhi, including the removal of lakhs of voters from the draft roll for nebulous reasons.

A major dispute has arisen between Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd.’s Board and its majority owner, Tata Trusts, regarding the reappointment of N. Chandrasekaran as Tata Sons chairman for a five-year tenure and the listing of the company as mandated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines. Tata Trusts has termed Mr. Chandrasekaran’s appointment “illegal”.

West Bengal government held multiple events as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations on Thursday (September 17, 2026), including lighting one lakh diyas [lamps] across Kolkata. A life-size statue of the Prime Minister was also unveiled at the Bharatiya Janata Party office in the capital city.

Anto Augustine, 38, managing director of Malayalam news channel Reporter TV , was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad late on Thursday (September 17, 2026).