Shillong: The Election Commission of India froze the All India Trinamool Congress name and its Flowers and Grass symbol this Friday. Rival factions sparked the move after submitting competing claims to the party. Both groups keep their recognized status in West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Tripura for now.
The commission issued an interim arrangement for the October 6 West Bengal by-elections. Mamata Banerjee leads a group now called Mamata All India Trinamool Congress, which uses the Football Player symbol. The Arup Roy faction operates as the Democratic Trinamool Congress using the Envelope symbol. These temporary measures allow candidates to file nominations without the internal dispute stalling the vote.
Charles Pyngrope, the Trinamool Congress Meghalaya chief, said the state unit remains unchanged. He insisted the original identity stays in place for local operations. The commission sidelined the original name and symbol pending a final ruling under the Election Symbols Order of 1968. Pyngrope clarified that the party is not tied to any single leader. He stated, "Leadership could change, he said, but the party itself continued to exist."
Pyngrope warned against viewing the commission order as a final verdict. The official status of the party remains in limbo until the legal process concludes. Meghalaya officials will continue to use the Flowers and Grass symbol until further notice. Whether the original branding survives depends entirely on the outcome of the ongoing rivalry.
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