Telangana: Remove poll symbols that resemble TRS’ car, party urges ECI

Ahead of the bypoll to the Munugode Assembly seat, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday urging it to delete certain poll symbols identical to that of the party’s poll symbol of car and said it would move the court if the ECI did not take a positive decision within 48 hours.

In its representation to the ECI, party general secretary Soma Bharath Kumar said free symbols that resemble the TRS’ poll symbol of car – such as chapati roller, sewing machine, camera, soap dish, television, ship and sewing machine – could confuse the voters.

The TRS gave details of the 2018 Telangana Assembly election in which such free symbols secured more votes than those of national parties such as the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). “These are TRS votes which people wrongly gave to these Independents due to confusion over similar symbols,” Kumar said, adding that the identical appearance of the symbols makes it difficult for illiterate and aged voters in rural areas to identify the TRS.

According to him, “Opponents of our party have taken advantage of identical symbols to confuse the voters in choosing and recognising the TRS symbol of car on the voting machine.” He said it was clear from the available numbers that Independents with such “look-alike” symbols have been cutting into TRS votes and damaging the party’s prospects.

Earlier, on the request of TRS, symbols such as hat, iron box, truck, autorickshaw, etc, were removed from among the list of free symbols.

In its general body meeting on October 5, the TRS unanimously passed a resolution to change the party’s name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and submitted a representation to the ECI. However, pending approval from the election body, the party is fighting the Munugode bypoll under the TRS name.

TRS candidate Koosukuntla Prabhakar Reddy will take on the BJP’s Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, whose resignation from the Congress in August necessitated the bypoll. The Congress has fielded Palvai Sravanthi Reddy, daughter of former MLA Palvai Govardhan Reddy, for the elections slated for November 3.