Bhubaneswar: With panchayat elections round the corner, the state election commission (SEC) has indentified at least 73 symbols for independent candidates on which the battle of ballot will be fought.
According to SEC, of the 73 symbols, independent candidates contesting Zilla Parishad elections will have to choose from a list of 19 symbols such as cot, boy&girl, bucket, letter box, drum, bead neeklace, jug, ring, saw, sewing machine, boat, table lamp, top, violin, gas stove, harmonium, road roller, television and water bottle.
Since elections for ZP members posts will be held on party symbols, the SEC has reserved eight symbols for seven national parties – BJP, BSP, CPI, CPI(M), INC, NCP, All India Trinamool Congress and one regional party – BJD.
For election to panchayat samiti members 19 symbols – kettle, stool, bus, lock&key, spectacles, hand fan, cup & saucer, earthen pot, pine-apple, bell, baby doll, batsman, glass tumbler, football, coat, maize, kite, aeroplane and flute – have been preserved for candidates to chose from.
Likewise, 26 symbols have been identified for elections to sarpanch posts and nine symbols have been kept for ward member elections at gram panchayat level.
According to SEC, “Where more than one independent candidates have indicated their choice for the same symbol, the election officer shall decide by lot and allot the free symbol to the candidate in whose favour the lot falls.”
Notably, elections will be held for Zilla Parishads, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats in which election for 853 ZP member posts will be fought on party symbols, while the contest for 6802 sarpanches, 6801 panchayat samiti members and 92,052 ward members in GPs will be held on non-party basis.
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