Will TMC’s symbolic ‘Jora Ghas Phul’ stay with Mamata Banerjee or be claimed by rebels amid power battle?

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal is facing a deepening internal crisis, with a wave of resignations and rebel claims raising questions about the party's unity and future direction.

According to sources, 19 dissident MPs, including senior leaders Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy, submitted their names to the Lok Sabha Speaker's Office on 18 May, signalling a growing divide within the party.

The group reportedly includes Bapi Haldar, Dr Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, June Malia, and Partha Bhowmick.

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, one of the rebel MPs, said that a bloc of 20 MPs has formally requested separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, a move widely seen as evidence of an emerging split within the TMC's parliamentary ranks.

TMC symbol — what does it mean?

According to the official history of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), symbolism was integral to the party's identity from its very inception. On the day the party was founded, Mamata Banerjee personally designed its emblem — two green flowers sprouting from a patch of grass, the party said.

More than just an election symbol, it was intended to convey the ideals of harmony, secularism, and social unity. The inspiration was captured in the Bengali verse written by famous poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.

“মোরা একই বৃন্তে দুটি কুসুম হিন্দু-মুসলমান,

একজন তার নয়নমণি, অন্যটি তার প্রাণ।”

(Roughly translates to, “We are two blossoms on the same stem — Hindu and Muslim; one is its eye, the other its life.”)

When the Election Commission approved the symbol, it came with a condition: the newly formed party had to secure at least 6 per cent of the vote in the 12th Lok Sabha elections to retain its recognition. Voters, however, backed the party in large numbers, ensuring that the symbol remained firmly associated with the TMC.

Who will take the party symbol?

Today, however, the symbol has taken on a different meaning as the Trinamool Congress grapples with an intense internal power struggle following its disappointing performance in the Assembly elections.

With rival factions now locked in a battle for control of the party, a key question has emerged: who will ultimately lay claim to the TMC's coveted election symbol?

A group of dissident MPs claiming the support of 19 Lok Sabha members announced that they would meet Speaker Om Birla next week to seek recognition as the “real TMC” parliamentary group, a move that the Mamata Banerjee-led party dismissed as legally untenable under the anti-defection law.

Rebel MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia said the dissident camp has already submitted a representation to the Speaker and will formally stake its claim on Monday.

"We have submitted the letter... On Monday, we will go to the Speaker and stake our claim to form the real TMC parliamentary group. We will ask the Speaker to give recognition to our claim," Basunia told PTI Videos.

What did Mahua Moitra say?

Party MP Mahua Moitra said the Constitution's 91st Amendment had removed provisions for a split and that lawmakers seeking to leave a party would have to merge with another political party.

"Traitor TMC lawmakers don't know the law. Constitution 91st Amendment 2003 removed the provision for a split/separate bloc. The number of MPs is irrelevant -- 2/3 of the original political party has to merge with another party. All 19 traitors need to resign & contest on BJP ticket," she said in a post on X.

As turmoil within the TMC intensified, a purported document bearing the names and signatures of 19 Lok Sabha MPs from the party surfaced online. However, the alleged letter addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has not been made public.

Rebel leaders within the TMC claimed that the document, whose authenticity could not be independently verified, demonstrated significant support for their campaign.

According to the circulating list, the signatories include Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Bapi Haldar, Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, June Malia, and Partha Bhowmick.

The ongoing turmoil has also resulted in a reshuffle of the TMC's operational setup in New Delhi. The party has moved its Delhi office from 20, Rajendra Prasad Road — the government bungalow allotted to Lok Sabha MP Partha Bhowmick, which had served as the party's capital headquarters since last year — back to 61, South Avenue, the official residence of Rajya Sabha MP Md Nadimul Haque.

The shift is being viewed as another sign of the organisational strain caused by the escalating internal discord within the party.

(With inputs from agencies)