The Delhi High Court Wednesday asked the Election Commission to allot a common election symbol to Chandra Shekhar Aazad’s political party for the upcoming assembly elections in five States.
Justice Prateek Jalan directed the EC to facilitate the process after it said that it had no objection to granting a common symbol to the Bhim Army chief for his ‘Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram)’ as long as a common symbol is available in all five states and the already allotted common symbol for three states is surrendered.
“The Commission will inform the petitioner of the symbols which are available in each of the five States and the petitioner may opt for any of those and it may be allotted to him.
The Election Commission is directed to facilitate this process,” said the judge who was hearing Aazad’s petition seeking a common election symbol for his political outfit.
“Make sure that he gets a common symbol, whatever it is... Whatever you find is available in all five states, give it to him,” the court told the EC.
“Tell your client no fussing about which symbol it is,” the judge told the counsel for the petitioner.
The petitioner’s lawyer said that in terms of an earlier order asking him to approach the EC for the grant of a common symbol, applications were made by him but no action was taken by the authorities.
Advocate Sidhant Kumar, representing the EC, stated that pursuant to the applications, the petitioner has been allotted a common symbol ‘helicopter’ for three states - Punjab, Goa and Manipur.