Lok Sabha elections in Telangana: 24 unrecognised parties get unique symbols

HYDERABAD: In these days of electronic blitz and Internet boom, a letter box, an envelope or for that matter, a pot look outdated and out of place. But, some of these are going to decide the electoral fortunes of candidates of unrecognised parties after the Election Commission allotted them as symbols.


In all, EC had allotted various symbols to 24 unrecognised parties. Some of them have interesting symbols. For instance, petrol pump and diesel pump symbols have been allotted to Saman Adhikar Party and Jai Praskash Janata respectively. Now, voters will be at their wits’ end to choose between the two on an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) as both symbols look alike.

Some of the unique symbols given were: electric pole to All India MGR Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, plate containing food to Baliraja Party, balloon for Rashtriya Sarvjan Vikas Party, rad roller for Bhartiya Anarakshit Party, scissors for Navarang Congress Party and black board for Bahujan Azad Party.

EC allotted common symbols to candidates contesting on each unrecognised party as per the provisions of para 10B of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. The unrecognised parties had been asked to select their choice of symbol among the list of symbols by the commission.

EC, after deciding on the symbols for unrecognised parties, shared it with the office of chief electoral officer, Telangana.

Apart from the two categories of recognised and unrecognised parties, symbols of independent candidates will also be decided by EC. Officials said independents will have to declare three symbols of his/her choice at the time of filing their nomination. Depending on their availability, ECI allots a symbol as per the candidate’s priority.

The recognised parties which are participating in the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana are: Congress, BJP, TRS, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of Marxists, Communist Party of India and a few other parties.