How are symbols allotted to political parties in India

How are symbols allotted to political parties in India

Subject :Polity

Section: Election

Context: The Supreme Court refused to entertain a petition filed by the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) party in Telangana, challenging the allotment of election symbols to two other parties.

More about the news:

• The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a petition filed by the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) party in Telangana, challenging the allotment of election symbols to two other parties.
• BRS argued that the symbols allotted to two political parties looked similar to BRS’s symbol of a car. This might confuse the voters during elections, it said.
• However, the SC declined the petition, saying voters were intelligent enough to differentiate between the symbols.

Who allots election symbols to political parties in India:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is responsible for the allotment of symbols in elections.
• This allotment is regulated by The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, aimed at specifying, reserving, and allocating symbols for recognized political parties.
• Symbols can be either reserved (exclusive to recognized parties) or ‘free’ (available for unrecognized registered parties).
• Unrecognized parties can choose from free, non-exclusive symbols.
• These symbols can become free again for others to choose in subsequent elections.
• Recognized national and state parties receive exclusive symbols.
• The EC publishes lists of parties and their symbols in the Gazette of India.
• In the latest notifications, there are six national parties, 26 state parties, and 2,597 registered unrecognized parties.

How did symbols like clock, lotus, hen, etc. enter the EC’s list:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) used to have symbols sketched by MS Sethi, who retired in September 1992.
• Sethi and a team of ECI officials brainstormed to create symbols based on everyday objects that the common man could relate to.
• Many well-known political party symbols, like the bicycle, elephant, and broom, were conceived in these sessions.
• Less common objects, including a pair of glasses, a nail cutter, and a necktie, were also suggested.
• In the late 1990s, the ECI compiled a list of 100 sketches to create the “free” symbols.
• As of January 2023, the list includes objects like a bowl of noodles and a mobile charger.

Do political parties get to state their preferences:

• The 1968 order empowers the Election Commission to manage the specification, reservation, choice, and allocation of symbols for parliamentary and assembly elections, aiming to recognize political parties.
• Unregistered parties are required to submit ten preferred symbols from the list of free symbols provided by the commission.
• Parties can propose three new symbols with names and designs, which the Commission may consider for common allocation if they meet certain criteria.
• Proposed symbols should not resemble existing reserved or free symbols, have religious or communal connotations, or depict birds or animals.
• When a recognized political party splits, the Election Commission decides on symbol allocation. For example, the Congress party initially had a pair of bulls as its symbol in 1952, which eventually changed to the hand symbol following party divisions.
• Recently, the EC allowed one faction of the Shiv Sena to keep its traditional bow and arrow symbol, while another faction received a flaming torch. The requested symbols of trident and mace were rejected due to religious connotations, and the ‘rising sun’ was not granted because it was already the election symbol of the DMK.