39 parties to battle with razor, green chilli, torch

| | New Delhi
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39 parties to battle with razor, green chilli, torch

Monday, 11 March 2019 | Rajesh Kumar | New Delhi

39 parties to battle with razor, green chilli, torch

What is common to lady’s finger, green chilli, watermelon, lunchbox, sewing machine, pencil box, razor, boat with man and sail, violin, battery torch, man blowing turha, toothbrush and many more? They are all election symbols allotted to 39 registered un-recognised parties set to contest 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday allotted common party symbols to 39 registered un-recognised parties that included filmstar Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and former Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav’s Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). While Haasan’s party has been allotted “battery torch” as common symbol, LJD was given the symbol of a “man blowing turha”. A person contesting on behalf of a recognised political party will inherit the party’s symbol.

Last year in February, Haasan announced his plan to plunge into politics launching his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (people justice centre) at a massive rally in Madurai. In December, Haasan announced that his party will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in all the 39 parliamentary constituencies of Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry Union Territory. The actor-turned-politician then in February, announced that his party would go it alone in the upcoming elections.

An Independent candidate or someone contesting on behalf of an unrecognised political party has to approach the EC and get a symbol allotted from the list of ‘free’ symbols available.

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.

As per the EC notification, Yadav’s LJD will contest on all the 543 parliamentary constituencies.

The LJD was floated by Yadav in 2018 after his fallout with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the latter’s decision to end the alliance with the RJD and enter into a tie-up with NDA-led by BJP. After his fallout, the three-time Rajya Sabha member was disqualified from the Upper House under the anti-defection law.

Loktantarik Rastravadi Party has been allotted “tractor chalata kisan” sympol for 11 parliamentary constituencies in Gujarat. Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation) has been allotted “flag with three star” symbol. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Ulgulan) has been allotted “bottle” symbol. Jan Sangh Party has been allotted “green chilli” to Delhi and Bihar while “dish antenna” allotted for 416 parliamentary constituencies across the country.

Bahujan Awam Party has been allotted “toothbrush” symbol to contest Parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh; Hindustan People Party has been allotted “pencil box” for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat Ganasangam Party of India allotted “lady finger” for Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry Maharashtra Parivartan Sena is given ‘sewing machine’ symbol and Apni Party given “lunchbox” symbol by the EC.

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