NCP (SP) to approach EC for alloting similar election symbol to independent candidates

NCP to challenge EC's decision on identical symbols, citing loss in Satara due to confusion; claims independent candidates benefited.

Mumbai: The Sharad Pawar-led NCP will approach the Election Commission (EC) against the election commission’s decision to give an identical election symbol to independent candidates in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. The party claims that they lost the Satara Lok Sabha seat due to the similar-looking symbols, leading to confusion among the voters.

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The EC allotted an election symbol named ‘Pipani’ (trumpet) to independent candidates, similar to NCP’s election symbol — ‘Tutari’ (man-blowing trumpet) allotted to the party after the split in July last year.

NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil claimed that in most of the seats the party contested, the independent candidate, having the Pipani symbol, secured 40,000 to 50,000 votes. “The symbols were similar, and the voter got confused. They voted for the independent, thinking they were NCP (SP) candidates. This is why we lost the Satara Lok Sabha seat,” Patil told reporters.

In the Satara constituency, Sanjay Gade, an independent candidate who was contesting on the Pipani symbol, bagged 37,062 votes, whereas NCP (SP) candidate Shashikant Shinde lost the poll to the BJP Udayanraje Bhosale by a margin of 32,771 votes.

Before the start of the polling, the NCP (SP) objected to the EC allocating the Pipani symbol, but the EC dismissed their objection.

In the Dindori Lok Sabha constituency, the independent candidate Babu Bhagre, contesting on the Pipani election symbol, got 1,03,632 votes. Meanwhile, NCP (SP) candidate Bhaskar Bhagare’s lead was so big that it did not affect his prospects, and the latter won by 1.13 lakh votes.

Similarly, in Beed, another independent candidate, Ashok Thorat, with the same election symbol, bagged 54,850 votes. In this seat, NCP (SP) candidate Bajrang Sonwane won the polls by 6,553 votes.