Thiruvananthapuram: The State Election Commission has refused to allot the official symbol of 'Two Leaves' to either of the two factions of the Kerala Congress (M). The commission on Tuesday temporarily froze the party symbol ahead of the three-phased local body polls due next month. The two factions of the KC(M), led by Jose K Mani and P J Joseph, are engaged in a legal battle over official status.

State Election Commissioner V Bhaskaran issued an order freezing the symbol as both the fighting factions claimed ownership of the symbol.

With this, both the factions cannot use the symbol in the upcoming local body polls.

Instead, based on their request, the symbol of 'chenda' (drum) was allotted to the Joseph faction and 'table fan' to the Jose faction to contest in the local body elections.

The poll body's action would be subject to the verdict of two existing cases in this regard at the Kerala High Court, EC sources here said.

After severing its three-decades-old ties with the opposition Congress-led UDF, the Jose K Mani faction of the Kerala Congress (M) had joined the ruling CPM-led LDF recently.

The Jose faction's issues with the UDF leadership aggravated in June this year after it was "ousted" from the Congress-led Front in connection with the tussle over the Kottayam district panchayat chief post.

(With PTI inputs)