ECI freezes Trinamool’s ‘Jora Phool’ symbol

• Election Commission freezes Trinamool Congress name and symbol
• Both Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee factions are barred
• Factions cannot use the symbol in 6 Oct Nandigram and Rejinagar polls

In a major setback to Mamata Banerjee, the Election Commission of India on Thursday decided to freeze the name 'All India Trinamool Congress' and its symbol

'Jora Phool' (Flowers and Grass). With the poll body's latest decision, both the factions -- one led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the other by Ritabrata Banerjee -- thus can not use the party's name and symbol in the Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls, scheduled to be held on October 6. The two rival groups of the All India Trinamool Congress will not be permitted to use the “Flowers & Grass” symbol, which remains reserved for AITC.