Dilip Ghosh Quips That Elections Might Slip Past Mamata’s Legal Fight Over TMC Symbol

West Bengal’s political arena turned into a courtroom drama this week as minister Dilip Ghosh took a swipe at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, poking fun at her decision to march to the Supreme Court over the Election Commission’s freeze on the Trinamool Congress’s historic name and \"flower‑and‑grass\" emblem.

\"At this rate, the election will pass by,\" Ghosh told reporters, adding that the legal tussle could leave Banerjee’s faction without a chance to field candidates in the looming by‑polls. \"Anyone can approach the court, but you might end up watching the polls go by without a ticket on the ballot.\"

Banerjee’s plea, filed on September 18, challenges the ECI’s interim order that barred both warring TMC factions from using the original party name \"All India Trinamool Congress\" and its iconic symbol. She described the move as arbitrary and asked the apex court for an urgent stay, arguing that the freeze cripples her side’s election preparations.

In response, the Election Commission assigned provisional identities: Banerjee’s camp now contests under \"Mamata All India Trinamool Congress\" with a football‑player logo, while the rival Arup Roy faction runs as \"Democratic Trinamool Congress\" sporting an envelope icon. The arrangement is meant to be temporary, just long enough to let nominations clear for the October 6 by‑elections.

The timing is especially delicate. The TMC’s Nandigram candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew at the last minute, and the opposition Congress nominee Milan Pradhan was arrested on a decades‑old murder charge. Banerjee seized on the arrest, alleging a \"vendetta\" by the ruling BJP‑ECI alliance, and warned that the episode underscores a broader pattern of intimidation.

Ghosh, meanwhile, didn’t shy away from personal digs. He labelled Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national secretary, as Mamata’s \"mind‑child\" and suggested the whole outfit has \"vanished into thin air\" because of her leadership style.

As the legal battle drags on, both sides brace for a showdown that could decide whether the Trinamool Congress even appears on the ballot. For now, the clock is ticking, and the next few weeks may determine whether the party’s legacy endures or fades into the electoral backdrop.