The Election Commission of India (ECI) has frozen the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) name and its reserved “Flowers and Grass” (Jora Ghas Phool) symbol after rival factions laid claim to the party. As an interim arrangement for the upcoming West Bengal by-elections scheduled for October 6, the Commission has allotted separate names and symbols to the competing groups.
Under the temporary arrangement, the faction led by Mamata Banerjee has been assigned the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” along with the Football Player symbol. The faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the Envelope symbol. The original party name and symbol have been kept in abeyance pending a final decision under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
Reacting to the development in Shillong, Meghalaya Trinamool Congress president Charles Pyngrope said the situation in Meghalaya should not be interpreted as an immediate change to the party’s identity in the state.
According to Pyngrope, the Election Commission’s decision must be viewed in the context of the West Bengal by-elections and the ongoing dispute over the party’s name and symbol. He emphasized that the original Trinamool Congress has not been removed from the Election Commission’s records. Instead, its name and symbol have only been temporarily set aside while competing claims are being examined.
He said the interim arrangement was necessary to ensure that the electoral process in West Bengal proceeds smoothly and that candidates can file nominations without delays caused by the dispute.
Pyngrope further stressed that the Trinamool Congress is an institution that cannot be defined by any single individual. While leadership may change over time, the party itself continues to exist.
When asked about the symbol to be used by the Meghalaya unit, he maintained that there is no immediate change and that the Jora Ghas Phool symbol continues to represent the party in the state for now.
He also cautioned against treating the Commission’s temporary arrangement as a final verdict, stating that the future of the original symbol and party identity will depend on the outcome of the legal and constitutional proceedings concerning the rival claims.
For the time being, he reiterated, the Meghalaya unit will continue to function under the original party identity and symbol, while the alternative names and symbols apply only to the temporary electoral arrangement arising from the dispute in West Bengal.
