Calcutta HC pulls up ECI over ISF symbol allotment

The Calcutta High Court on Monday questioned the Election Commission over its allotment of the Indian Secular Front’s ‘Envelope’ symbol to the Democratic Trinamool Congress for the upcoming bypolls.
Justice Krishna Rao asked why the ECI had chosen the ‘Envelope’ symbol for another party when the ISF was also contesting. The court reserved its order after a prolonged hearing, according to reports.
The ISF argued that voters would be confused since it had used the ‘Envelope’ symbol in recent elections. The party has been allotted the ‘Almirah’ symbol for the bypolls instead.
The ECI maintained that the ISF is an unrecognised party with no reserved symbol and that the allotment was as per law. The dispute concerns the Nandigram bypoll, according to reports.
The court’s order is awaited and could affect the bypoll process. The case has drawn attention as a test of the ECI’s rules on allotting symbols to unrecognised parties.
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