New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed
the Election Commission to allot a common symbol of `Railway
engine` to Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)
for contesting the coming Assembly elections in Maharashtra.
The apex court said that the common symbol `Railway
engine` would be allotted to MNS, subject to the conditions
that if any other candidate who had won the last election on
the same symbol then he would be allowed to retain it for
contesting the poll.
The order was passed by a Bench comprising Chief Justice
KG Balakrishnan and justice P Sathasivam on the petition
filed by MNS seeking to contest around 150 Assembly seats on a
common symbol.
The Bench also directed allocation of common symbol
`coconut` to Jan Surya Shakti party, which is contesting
around 100 seats in the assembly election in the state.
Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi, which is also contesting around
100 seats, was directed to be allotted the common symbol of
`whistle`.
All these three parties are registered as unrecognised
parties and they had sought for the allotment of symbols.
The nomination for the October 13 election starts from
September 18.
Senior counsel KK Venugopal, appearing for MNS, had
pleaded that if the exclusive symbol was not alloted, it would
confuse the voters most of whom are illiterate.
He recalled that during the recent General Elections
unrecognised political parties like Prajya Rajyam and MDMDK
were directed to be given exclusive symbols.
According to the EC, only recognised political parties
are entitled to get common symbols whereas the others have to
accept symbols alloted by the Commission at the constituency.
Bureau Report
