THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Nov 1: Returning Officers of the five assembly constituencies here were too cautious about the allotment of ‘free symbols’ to the contestants. The exercise was no ordinary. It was quite arduous and challenging.
The ECI has reserved symbols like the Lotus of the BJP, the Hand of the Congress, and the Elephant of the BSP, to name a few.
The free symbols are traditional and modern, too. They range from jackfruit (katahal) to laptop symbols.
Constraints in symbol allotment
Allotting free symbols has its constraints. If the symbol Apple is much more popular, the air conditioner is less in that proportion. Still, the air conditioner is the first free symbol out of the 190 free symbols notified by the ECI under Election Symbols (Reservations and Allotment) Order 1968.
The ECI’s list of free symbols if it starts with the air conditioner, ends up with the wool and needle symbol. The Jharkhand Story has ECI’s list of 190 free symbols with it.
However, some contentions were built up over the allotment of free symbol which was lawfully settled under the directive of the CEO’ office.
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Legal framework for free symbols
The ECI’s line is if the symbol is a reserved one in respect of an unrecognised/unregistered political party and such a political party has not fielded its candidate, then in that event the reserved symbol can be lawfully allotted to any contestant be the candidate an Independent in that particular constituency which is not on contravention to Reservation and Allotment of Symbols order of 1968 of the ECI.
One such free symbol is a Truck. This symbol of Truck finds a place in the list of 16 free symbols as issued by the ECI for the state of Jharkhand under Election Symbols (Reservations and Allotment) order 1968. The list of 16 free symbols for the state of Jharkhand is under para 10B.
The symbol of Truck as per the ECI list of free symbols is allotted to Bharatiya Rashtriya Forward Block for the state of Jharkhand but here in one of the five assembly constituencies this symbol of Truck was allotted to one Independent since Bharatiya Rashtriya Forward Block has not fielded its candidate for the particular constituency. Thus, the allotment of a Truck to an Independent is legal and valid.
Political murmurings began to rise over this allotment but since there was no candidate in the poll fray of the Bharatiya Rashtriya Forward Block, there was no issue of allowing this symbol to an Independent. The political murmuring subsided as fast as it had risen.
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Again, there was murmuring over the sewing machine, a free symbol again allotted to an independent candidate here in one of the five assembly constituencies. Here too the ‘matter’ was resolved lawfully.
The ECI has notified common symbol allotment under para 10B in the state of Jharkhand for 16 symbols namely Almirah, Apple, Autorickshaw, Bucket, Basket Containing Fruits, Diamond, Electric pole, Football player, Hockey and ball, Match box, Nagrik, Pen nib with seven rays, Ring, Scissors, Petrol pump and Truck.
Structure of ballot units in assembly constituencies
Among the five assembly constituencies in Palamu district, Chhaterpur assembly constituency is the only one to go with just one BU (ballot unit) as here only 14 candidates are in the poll fray while in the remaining four assembly constituencies there will be two BUs in service following higher numbers of the contestants like Daltonganj assembly constituency has 25 candidates, Panki has 17, Bishrampur has 21 and Hussainabad has 22 candidates.
A BU has 15 candidates and one for NOTA. Any exceed by just one candidate that is 17 plus its two BUs and so on the number of the BUs will be increasing there for the voting.
