Calcutta, Oct. 26: Sonia Gandhi today named Manas Bhuniya the Bengal Congress chief and immediately after, he echoed Rahul Gandhi’s assertion that the alliance with Trinamul would be based on “dignity”.

“I have been nominated PCC chief at a time we are getting ready for the Assembly elections next summer. I have two priorities. First, to strengthen my own organisation and second, to firm up the alliance with the Trinamul Congress maintaining the party’s (Congress’s) dignity,” Bhuniya said from Delhi.

The words did not appear to have gone down well with the ally, with a Trinamul general secretary insisting that the “dignity” rant went against the “ground reality” and that seat-sharing deals would have to be struck on Mamata Banerjee’s diktat.

“Bhuniya and his colleagues have been talking about their party’s dignity. But the ground reality is that Mamatadi has a stronger presence than the Congress everywhere in Bengal barring Murshidabad, Malda and one or two districts in north Bengal. So the logic demands that the seat-sharing deal should be struck at her diktat,” the Trinamul general secretary said.

Trinamul state chief Subrata Bakshi appeared to play down Bhuniya’s elevation and suggested that he was not crucial to seat-sharing deals. “We will not strike any seat-sharing deal with him. Everything will be done at the AICC level.”

Bakshi was apparently upset that Bhuniya had criticised Mamata’s remarks in which she dubbed Rahul a “seasonal cuckoo” when the Gandhi scion had visited Bengal in September.

State Congress leaders feel Bhuniya has been rewarded for his “consistent efforts” to revive the party in Bengal by, for instance, hitting the streets with political programmes and rallies since being made ad hoc chief this June.

Getting Rahul to the state twice in September — when the Amethi MP and party general secretary had harped on the dignity theme — also helped Bhuniya earn the high command’s pat, the leaders said.

Bhuniya was quick to thank party bosses, saying he was “grateful to Soniaji” for formally giving him a “ great responsibility”.

Bhuniya had so far been ad hoc chief, a post he was appointed to on June 29 after Pranab Mukherjee left it saying he needed more time to concentrate on his job as finance minister.

An election to pick the state chief was scheduled for September 17 but party leaders passed a resolution leaving the final decision to Sonia.

But even in the Congress, some appeared unhappy. “It’s good Manas has been nominated PCC chief but we will be happy if he accommodates us,” said Pradip Ghosh, who was removed by Bhuniya as the party’s central Calcutta chief along with 16 other district bosses in July.