Election Symbol

About:

• As per the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, the Election Commission allots symbols for anyone contesting in polls. 
• A person contesting on behalf of a recognised political party will inherit the party's symbol. 
• An independent candidate or someone contesting on behalf of an unrecognised political party has to approach the Commission and get a symbol allotted from the list of 'free' symbols available. 
  • A candidate will have to provide three symbols from the free list at the time of submission of nomination papers, one of which will be allocated to him/her. 
  • Any choice other than from the EC's list will be summarily rejected. 
• In the case of a recognised political party, the Commission allows it to 'reserve' a symbol. 
  • For example, if a political party recognised in a particular State wishes to contest in elections in another State, it can 'reserve' the symbol being used by it. 
  • The Commission will oblige, provided the symbol is not being used by anyone else. 
• Two or more recognised political parties can have the same symbol provided they are not contenders in the same State or Union Territory. 
  • Both Federal Party of Manipur and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) use 'Rising Sun' as their symbol. 
  • But if one of the parties wish to open their account in the other State, it will have to contest on a different symbol. 

Losing the symbol? 

• The ECI may also derecognise a political party if it has not polled at least 6 % of votes or won two seats in the State elections. In case of a national party, it should have polled minimum 6 % votes and 2 MLAs in at least four States. 
• Until 1997, unrecognised parties would lose their symbols. Later, the EC modified its order to allow them to retain its symbol. 

Party split: 

• In case a recognised political party splits, the Commission decides which faction can use the symbol.
• The Commission may also choose to freeze the symbol and ask both factions to contest in fresh symbols.