NEW DELHI: Seeking an election symbol to fight the upcoming assembly polls in Delhi?
You can be a 'whistle' blower or 'hammer' the minds of voters with poll symbols like 'iron', 'coconut' or 'bat'.
One of the possible symbols can be a 'carrot' to be dangled before the voters to woo them or opt for the 'kite' symbol which would ensure voters' dreams are kept soaring high, of course till the results are out.
Then there are 'pressure cooker', 'railway engine', 'walking stick', and 'sewing machine' too on the platter offered by the Election Commission to the candidates keen to contest the polls scheduled for November 29 in the national capital.
For that matter, if you are keen to stand apart in the crowd of independent candidates there is a 'hat' to wear this polls or just carry 'candles' if you think elections are the means to dispel darkness around you.
"There are over 59 free symbols that one can choose from for the ensuing polls in Delhi," Deputy Chief Electoral Officer JK Sharma said.
'Glass tumbler', 'cup and saucer,' 'cake,' 'ice cream' 'jug' and 'kettle' are also available as election symbols available to candidates or political parties to use as an identity at the electoral ballot when the voters cast their franchise on the D-day.
Among eatables 'bread', and 'banana' also figure as choices. Animals are no longer used as poll symbols due to a new order following protests by animal activists after the BSP had managed to bag the 'elephant' symbol.
In Delhi there are around 1.2 crore electorate who can exercise their franchise at nearly 10,80038 polling stations located across the national capital.
There are seven national parties who have permanent election symbols and around 949 registered unrecognised parties and 33 state parties across the country.
"The symbols chosen are such that they can be easily understood, remembered and recognised by the average voter," Sharma said adding that the Commission has stipulated that all the symbols used should be standard throughout India.
Thus, the BJP's 'lotus' or Congress 'hand' symbol will not be allotted to any other party or individual, even if the BJP does not have a candidate in a particular constituency or state. (A party is considered a national party only if it is represented in at least four states and/or Union territories.)
Then there are the state parties, which are allotted certain symbols that no other party can use in that particular state,but which different parties in different states can use.
For instance Samanjwadi Party and Panther Party are using poll symbol 'cycle' in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir respectively, an official from the election office said.
