ELECTION SYMBOLS

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.