After losing national party tag, CPI plans to fight Karnataka polls on its 'ears of corn and sickle' symbol

The CPI was recognised as a 'national party' in 1989. It is the only political party to contest all general elections on the same electoral symbol.

Published on: Apr 15, 2023, 08:29:50 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The Communist Party of India, which recently lost its national party status, will contest the Karnataka election on its 'ears of corn and sickle' symbol, party MP Binoy Viswam said Friday.

The CPI was recognised as a 'national party' in 1989. It is the only political party to contest all general elections on the same electoral symbol and has maintained an uninterrupted presence in the Lok Sabha. It was the first non-Congress party to form government in any state and since then has been part of many governments.

READ | Days after losing ‘national’ tag, NCP enters Karnataka poll fray

To use its poll symbol in a state where it is not a recognised party, CPI will have to seek the Election Commission's permission.

"In the Karnataka election, CPI will contest on the symbol 'ears of corn and sickle' that used to be the party's election symbol ever since 1952... The CPI will strive hard to retain it," Viswam said in a tweet.

While the CPI's state party status has been withdrawn in West Bengal and Odisha, it continues to enjoy the status in Kerala, Manipur and Tamil Nadu.

READ | Karnataka elections: JD(S) releases 2nd list, no ticket for Kumaraswamy’s kin

The major advantage of a 'national tag' is that the party can have a common symbol across the country for its candidates thus making it easier for people to recognise it.

The nomination process for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly poll began on April 13 with April 20 being the last date to file the papers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

Get the latest City News, local updates, weather alerts and breaking stories from Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other major cities across India on Hindustan Times.