Big Relief For ‘Car’ & ‘Fan’

The Election Commission had announced that it would not allocate auto rickshaw, chapati rolling board and rolling pin, cap, truck, iron box as election symbols for any of the independent candidates in both the Telugu states.

This decision comes in the wake of the regional parties like the BRS in Telangana and YCP in Andhra Pradesh complaining that the electorate was getting confused with the above symbols having similarity with their party symbols.

Coming to Telangana, the BRS’ party symbol is car but with a road roller and auto rickshaw looking similar to it, some illiterate and old people by mistake were casting their vote to other symbols, instead of the car which was affecting the winning prospects of the party. During the 2014 elections, BRS lost a few seats with a thin majority due to the confusion in symbols.

In Andhra Pradesh too, the YCP’s party symbol is fan. The chapathi rolling pin also appears to have two wings, similar to that of the fan’s wings. A cap also appears to have one wing with the sunshade pointing out of the headgear. During the last elections, the YCP also complained that it was facing trouble due to iron box.

Even now, ahead of the elections, the YCP raised the issue and lodged a complaint with the EC about the confusion over party symbols.

Acting over the complaints, the EC has decided to completely withdraw the symbols for allocation in both the Telugu states. However, the symbols would be in use in other states and union territories, the EC informed.