Swaraj India asks candidates to choose 3 similar poll symbols

Swaraj India has asked its candidates to choose three similar symbols for the upcoming MCD polls to overcome the hindrance of non-availability of common symbol.
Party leadership had asked its candidates to give three options--whistle, window and tractor--in their nomination form from the list of free symbols meant for independents and unrecognised political parties.
"An analysis of past elections and symbols distributed to independents and recognised parties revealed that candidates opt for symbols which which start from alphabets A-J and don't go further.
"So we asked our candidates to choose these three option with a priority on whistle. More importantly, these symbols send some message," Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav said.

Interestingly, to avoid any "sabotage", the candidates were asked to give their preferences only at 8 AM on the morning of April 3, the last day of nomination.
Over 260 candidates have filled their nomination on the Swaraj India ticket.

The Delhi High Court had denied Swaraj India's demand to have a common symbol for civic body polls, its maiden electoral contest.
The party blames it on the AAP government saying it was "deliberately done to deny Swaraj India a level playing field".
Yadav claimed that in March 2015, the state election commission had written to the Delhi government to modify rules to allow recognised political parties, willing to contest 10 per cent of the total seats, to have a common symbol for the polls.

However, the AAP government sat on the proposal, he alleged.
"A common symbol helps to have uniform visibility on posters, campaigns. We are hopeful that we will at least have 1-2 common symbols which we can use for the MCD polls. By this we can minimise the problem arising out of a non-availability of a common symbol.
"This time, EVMs will have photographs against the candidates name and symbol. So, we have also asked all our candidates to use their photographs liberally on their campaign material," Yadav said.