JD-U can’t use arrow symbol in Jharkhand: EC

New Delhi: Based on a complaint from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the Janata Dal(United) and Shiv Sena not to use their traditional party symbols since they clash with that of the JMM and to pick a fresh ‘free’ symbol for the upcoming Jhar-khand Assembly poll.

The JD(U), which is recognised as a state party in Bihar, uses the arrow as its election symbol while the Shiv Sena and JMM both have the bow and arrow as their poll symbols in Maharashtra and Jharkhand respectively.

The JMM, a regional party, was allotted the bow and arrow in 1985 and it has been contesting on this symbol since then.

However, the JMM, in a petition to the ECI in July, had requested it to prohibit the JD(U) and Shiv Sena from using their symbols in the Jharkhand elections since neither of them are ‘state parties’ there nor have any candidates in Legislative Assembly or in Lok Sabha from the state.

To support its claim, the JMM argued that it remains the principal Opposition party in Jharkhand with 19 out of 81 MLAs.

The JMM further said that the allotment of the arrow to JD(U) candidates in Jharkhand would create confusion in the minds of electors in Jharkhand “where the majority of voters have rural base with low level of literacy” as the arrow symbol is similar in design to its reserved bow and arrow symbol .

To support its claim, the JMM cited an example where ECI had accepted the JD(U)’ s application for denying the reserved bow and arrow symbol  to the JMM in Bihar under the same rules.

Accepting the JMM’s contention the ECI, said that since it had earlier considered a similar request from the JD (U) where the same argument  was made to prohibit JMM and Sena from using  the bow and arrow symbol in Bihar, the same rules applied for the JMM in Jharkhand as well. “JD(U) is a recognised state party in Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh the arrow as its reserved symbol in these  states. The JMM is a recognised state party in Jharkhand with the bow and arrow as its reserved symbol in the state. The Shiv Sena is a recognised state party in Maharashtra with the bow and arrow as its reserved symbol in the said state,” the ECI ordered.

Hence, in Jharkhand, the JD(U) and Shiv Sena will have to pick a free symbol to contest the Assembly election.