‘From chappal to chapatti roller’: Bihar polls and surprising party symbols
The Election Commission has offered ‘biscuit’ as the election symbol to the Shiv Sena to avoid confusion among voters because Janata Dal (United) has ‘arrow’ as its election symbol in Bihar.
Don’t be surprised if you find images of chappal (slippers), chapatti roller, pestle and mortar on the electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the three-phase Assembly elections in Bihar on October 28, November 3 and November 7.
These are among 199 symbols the Election Commission of India (ECI) has added to its list of free symbols or common symbols since June 2018. Voters in Bihar will see some of them for the first time on the EVMs during the polls this time.
The Aam Janta Party Rashtriya, a registered unrecognised political party, has been allotted ‘chappals’ as its symbol.
Similarly, the Aam Adhikar Morcha, another unrecognised political party, has been allotted ‘chapatti roller’ as its symbol.
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Other such parties, like the Hindu Samaj Party, has been allotted ‘pestle and mortar’ while the symbol of ‘baby walker’ has gone to the Rashtriya Jan Vikas Party and ‘balloon’ to the Hindustan Sampoorna Azad Party.
Similarly, ‘binoculars’ is the symbol for the Republican Party of India (Rashtriya); ‘bat’ has been allotted to the Rashtriya Jan Jan Party; ‘road roller’ to the Bharatiya Lok Nayak Party; ‘carrom board’ to the Loktantrik Jan Swaraj Party; ‘trumpet’ to Bharatiya Sablog Pary, among others.
‘Hand cart’, allotted to the Mazdoor Ekta Party, is from the list of new symbols added in 2019, said a poll officials requesting anonymity.
The Election Commission has offered ‘biscuit’ as the election symbol to the Shiv Sena, which has ‘bow and arrow’ as its symbol for Maharashtra. The party will contest 50 assembly seats in Bihar. This has been done to avoid confusion among voters because Janata Dal (United) has ‘arrow’ as its election symbol in Bihar.
Former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav’s Jan Adhikar Party Loktantrik has been issued ‘scissors’ as its party symbol this time. Earlier, it had ‘hockey stick and ball’ in 2015 assembly polls.
All registered parties contesting elections need to choose a symbol from a list of available symbols offered by the EC. The total number of parties registered with the ECI was 2,598, with eight national parties, 52 state parties and 2,538 unrecognised parties.
While 162 symbols were added to the list of free symbols on June 20, 2018, another 37 were added during the last revision on March 9, 2019.
A recognised party enjoys privileges like a reserved party symbol, free broadcast time on state-run television and radio, a consultation in setting of election dates and giving input in setting electoral rules and regulations.
