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Meghalaya TMC President Charles Pyngrope told Meghalaya News 24 that the party’s legislators in the State will continue with the Trinamool Congress and its existing ‘Jora Phul Ghas’ symbol till 2028, but indicated that the future of the TMC symbol in Meghalaya would have to be reassessed after the West Bengal by-election, when the party’s name and symbol is expected to become clearer. Pyngrope said after the West Bengal by-election, the issue with the symbol will be clear when the Meghalaya TMC will sit and take a call.
Pyngrope said the legislators of Meghalaya TMC were elected on the TMC symbol or ‘Jora Phul Ghas’, and maintained that the symbol cannot simply be frozen for the State’s elected representatives unless the Meghalaya unit itself splits. He, however took a vow to keep his MLAs intact till 2028.
“If election commission freezes the TMC symbol even after West Bengal by election that means the party will not be able to use the symbol post 2028 elections as of now we have been elected and no one can freeze our symbol as representative of TMC in Meghalaya. Unless TMC Meghalaya breaks into two fraction which will not happen, I will not let that happen, therefore the question doesnot arise,” the Meghalaya TMC President said.
The symbol issue has assumed political significance following the Election Commission’s recognition of a split in the Trinamool Congress and its decision to freeze the party’s name and symbol, with alternative names and symbols allotted to the factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy for the West Bengal by-elections. The development has raised questions over whether the existing TMC electoral identity, including the ‘Jora Phul Ghas’ symbol used by its Meghalaya legislators, would remain available beyond the immediate electoral exercise in West Bengal.
Pyngrope, however, said the alternative symbols were allotted specifically to facilitate the West Bengal by-elections and should not automatically be treated as determining the future of the Meghalaya unit.
“These are temporary symbols allotted so that the bye elections can be carried out. This is happening in West Bengal and we are not having any elections now. As TMC decided not to put up candidate for Lok Sabha bye election for Shillong Parliamentary seat,” he said
Asked whether the TMC ‘Jora Phul Ghas’ symbol would continue to remain frozen after the West Bengal by-election, Pyngrope said, “I will not be in a position to categorically state what will be the position of TMC in Meghalaya after the bye elections in West Bengal is over. Now will the original party symbol still exists or no, or will they get new symbol, I don’t know because I am not an expert on that, it depends on the elections commission of India and on the judgement of high court.”
The Meghalaya TMC President said the West Bengal by-election would be a key point after which the broader picture regarding the TMC’s name and symbol would become clearer, following which the Meghalaya unit would sit together and decide its course.
“After the bye elections the whole picture will be open up. If TMC gets divided, obviously that symbol no longer exists , then there will be confusion, we have to sit and discuss,” he added
