Election Commission Freezes Trinamool Name and Symbol for Bengal Bypolls

The Election Commission of India temporarily barred the rival groups led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy from using the All India Trinamool Congress name or its Flowers & Grass symbol in the October 6 Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly bypolls. Each group must submit three preferred temporary names and three free-symbol choices by 11:00 a.m. IST on September 18. The commission said it could not decide the dispute on its merits before the election timetable. The interim arrangement remains in force pending a final ruling under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.