Following yesterday's freeze of Trinamool's name and symbol, the Election Commission allotted 'Mamata AITC' with football-player symbol to Mamata Banerjee's camp and 'Democratic Trinamool' with envelope to the rebel camp for the October 6 bypolls.
The focus moved to Nandigram, vacated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata-faction nominee Sanchita Pradhan De withdrew after meeting Adhikari, and Mamata announced support for Congress instead of fielding a candidate. Hours later Congress nominee Milan Pradhan was arrested in an old murder case, drawing allegations of BJP vendetta from Mamata and Rahul Gandhi.
By evening Mamata petitioned the Supreme Court against the freeze. Separately, editors followed the Delhi teenager's gangrape-murder and the suicide in Haridwar of Surendra Koli, acquitted in the Nithari killings.