Losing the status of a national party, ruling Trinamul Congress seems to be in a disadvantageous position, particularly ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

While reacting to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) drastic decision to withdraw the recognition of a national party tag from the TMC, veteran MP Sougata Roy said on Monday night: “We would explore legal options to challenge the ECI move against our party.”

In significant decisions, the ECI on Monday recognised Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party and withdrew this recognition given to the Nationalist Congress Party, CPI and Trinamul Congress.

In other decisions, the poll panel gave recognition to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) as a state party in Nagaland and Tipra Motha Party was recognised as a state party in Tripura. Bharat Rashtra Samithi has been derecognised as a state party in Andhra Pradesh.

The poll panel also withdrew the state party status of Rashtriya Lok Dal in Uttar Pradesh and of Revolutionary Socialist Party in West Bengal. The Voice of the People Party got recognition as a state party in Meghalaya.

Tipra Motha Party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Voice of the People Party got recognition as state parties based on their recent performance in the Assembly polls earlier this year in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, respectively.

Some political analysts in the city felt that the ruling Trinamul Congress suffered a setback at the backdrop when the party, headed by Mamata Banerjee is projecting it as a prime anti-BJP force in the national politics ahead of the general elections in the country.

Trinamul Congress is all set to face major disadvantages, they felt adding that the party would be recognized as a state party following the commission’s decision.

1. It would be difficult for Trinamul Congress to get back the national status before 2033 when the ECI would form a new list of national and state parties. List of national parties is formed every 10 years.

2. From now, Trinamul Congress won’t be mentioned there in the top of the list of few front-ranking national parties in EVM or ballot papers.

3. Trinamul Congress may not be allowed to use the tag ‘All India’.

4. ECI is no more bound to invite Trinamul Congress in any meeting called by the commission to discuss issues related to polls.

5. Losing national status, the TMC may find problems in connection with its election funds.

6. Trinamul Congress may lose its significance in national politics in elections scheduled in coming years. Trinamul Congress was formed on 1 January, 1998 after Mamata Banerjee left Congress to form her own political platform.