Kolkata (West Bengal): The Calcutta High Court has extended its interim order concerning three HDFC Bank accounts operated by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) until January 29, 2027, providing continued relief to the party amid an ongoing dispute over its organisational identity and control.

Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya passed the order while hearing a petition filed by the AITC seeking permission to operate the three bank accounts.

On July 9, the court had appointed a Special Officer to oversee the operation of the accounts. Under the arrangement, cheques issued by the party are required to be signed by two authorised signatories. The Special Officer is then required to scrutinise the cheques before placing them for payment with the bank.

The interim arrangement was introduced after the accounts were frozen during an investigation into alleged financial irregularities. The three HDFC Bank accounts maintained by the AITC at the Central Plaza branch in Kolkata were among the accounts affected by the freezing action.

The Calcutta High Court had earlier permitted the operation of the accounts for the party's day-to-day expenses under the supervision of the court-appointed Special Officer. The arrangement was intended to facilitate essential financial transactions without deciding which faction holds the legitimate claim to the party.

The development comes amid an internal dispute within the AITC, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) taking steps concerning the use of the party's name and election symbol. The Commission held a hearing on September 17 regarding the rival claims over the party's identity and representation.

The ECI has reportedly frozen the use of the AITC name and its reserved election symbol as an interim measure while the dispute between the factions is considered. The court's order concerning the bank accounts remains focused on the operation of the accounts and does not determine the final ownership of the party's name.

The matter will now be considered further on January 29, 2027.