NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday finally allotted the symbol of “two swords and shield” (Do talwarein aur Ek Dhal) to the group of Mahrashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, with the party’s name as the “Balasahebanchi ShivSena.”
The Dhal Talwar symbol is a reserved symbol of the erstwhile People’s Democratic Movement which s derecognised as a state party in 2004 and further delisted on 26.12.2016. Declaring it as a free symbol, the EC allot it to the Shinde group for use in the current by-election and till the final order is passed in the dispute over who owns Shiv Sena and its earlier symbol.
The EC letter to Shinde says his group’s demand for the symbol of Sun/Surya/Sooraj can not be allotted for three reasons:
— It resembles with already reserved symbols of Sun (without rays) and Rising Sun of the recognised political parties of Zoram Nationlist Party, recognised in Mizoram, and DMK, the recognised party in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry;
— The symbol also seems to resemble with the reserved symbol “sun(without rays)” of Zoram Nationalist Party and free symbols “Apple,” “Cauliflower” and “football”; and
— The symbol is not in the list of free symbols.
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