Swaraj India moves HC against denial of symbol by poll panel

Yogendra Yadav-led Swaraj India today moved the Delhi High Court against the state election commission's denial of its plea for a common symbol for the upcoming MCD polls in the city.
Appearing for the party, senior advocate Arvind Nigam mentioned the matter before a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and V K Rao for an urgent hearing.
The bench allowed the matter to be listed for hearing tomorrow before the appropriate court.
The state election commission today announced that the municipal polls would be held on April 22 in the national capital.
Swaraj India was floated by Yadav and Prasant Bhushan, who were expelled from Aam Aadmi Party after they questioned Arvind Kejriwal's leadership.

Nigam said the poll panel denied their request for a symbol on March 7 despite a provision in the rules to provide a symbol to a registered but unrecognised political party like Swaraj India which is set to make its election debut in the upcoming MCD polls.

The lawyer argued that under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) (Amendment) Order the Election Commission of India itself allows newly registered political parties to have a common symbol for all their candidates for contesting their first election.
The party has claimed that states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Kerala, Sikkim and Tripura follow the rule made by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Swaraj India, in its plea, has blamed the Aam Aadmi Party government for the denial of symbol to it citing the notification of Delhi Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order 2016 which allegedly bars candidates of new parties from having a common symbol.