Allotment of 2 sets of symbols for candidates opposed

: Social activist 'Traffic' Ramasamy today filed a petition in Madras High Court, opposing allotment of two sets of symbols for candidates representing recognised political parties and independents.
He said while recognised parties get permanent party symbols which they promote thorughout the year, independents are allotted a symbol just a couple of days before the election, leaving little room for them to popularise the symbole among voters.
The PIL questioned Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 and said if the practice of permanent symbols for political parties is abolished, it would end the menace of ruling parties erecting statues of their party symbols such as Elephants and Two Leaves.

He mentioned the matter today before the first bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice T S Sivagnanam, which then asked him to move the plea after getting it numbered and listed by the registry, possibly by Tuesday.
The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 lays down guidelines for allotting symbols to recognised political parties and independents during every election.
As per rule 6B of the Order, a political party is treated as a recognised state party if its candidates in assembly polls secure not less than six per cent of total votes, and returned at least two MLAs. While such recognised parties are allotted or allowed to choose symbols from a set of 'reserved symbols', others and independents choose/get symbols from free list of symbols.

Describing this as discriminatory, the PIL said while the recognised political parties keep promoting their party symbols throughout the year, the independents would be allotted their symbols only a couple of weeks ahead of every election, provided their nomination papers are accepted.
A recognised party in power would be in a further position to erect permanent structures depicting its symbol, using taxpayers' money, it said.
Ramasamy said it would defeat the very core objective of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and free and fair poll process, and added that the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order should be disbanded to pave the way for level playing ground for all candidates.