Know your candidate symbol
Posted on: 16/Apr/2019 2:25:01 PM
Often times the voters are asked for the symbol they will be voting for at the elections. In the recent years, there are a number of candidates and several number of political parties coming up day by day. So, in order to remember the identity of their preferred candidate, the only key is to use the party symbol.
It is very often asked as to how the party symbol is allocated. According to the Election Commission, the parties get their very own symbol as per the Election Symbols Order, 1968. This order specifies and reserves specific symbols for the parliamentary and assembly elections in order to aid recognition of parties. Based on these provisions, the parties are allotted with specific symbols.
Issue from the Election Commission would contain complete list of all the national parties and the respective symbol allocated to them, and also another complete list of all state parties and the respective symbol allotted to them. Furthermore, there are political parties that are unrecognized.
Free symbols vs reserved symbols
Generally, the party symbols can be available for free or they will be reserved. A reserved symbol is the one which is exclusively kept for parties that are politically well recognized. These will be allotted to select candidates of the revered political party.
Coming on to free symbols, they will not be reserved for any kind of party or candidate. Such symbols will be kept open to any new candidate.
Candidate who does not belong to any national or state party will be allocated for such free symbols. For example, air conditioner, brief case, chappals, capsicum, etc. are a few free symbols.
Symbol reservation
Be it national or state party, each and every candidate who contests in the election will be allotted with a symbol. This reserved symbol cannot be allotted to any other party or any other candidate or nominee in any other constituency. This rule is applicable even in case there is no candidate contesting in the respective party at the respective constituency.
