NEWS: The satirical youth pressure group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has drawn attention to India's election symbol allocation system governed by the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968
- A legal framework that empowers the Election Commission of India (ECI) to regulate, reserve, and allot election symbols to political parties and independent candidates.
- Issued by the ECI on 31 August 1968 under Article 324 of the Constitution read with the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.
- Governing mechanism for election symbols in Parliamentary and State Assembly elections.
KEY FEATURES
- Classification of Partiesà Divides political parties into Recognized and Unrecognized parties based on electoral performance.
- Reserved Symbolsà Recognized National and State Parties receive exclusive symbols reserved for their use.
- Free Symbolsà Unrecognized parties and independent candidates choose from a list of free symbols maintained by the ECI.
- First-Come-First-Served Basisà Free symbols are allotted based on availability and application.
- Animal Symbol Restrictionà Allocation of new animal symbols was discontinued in the 1990s due to animal welfare concerns.
LEGACY EXCEPTIONS
- Political parties that were allotted animal symbols before the restriction continue to retain themà Example: Bahujan Samaj Party retains the Elephant symbol.
SIGNIFICANCE
- Ensures easy identification of candidates, especially for voters with limited literacy.
- Maintains uniformity and transparency in the electoral process.
- Strengthens the integrity and fairness of elections by preventing symbol-related confusion.