PRP moves High Court for common symbol

Express News Service
First Published : 05 Feb 2009 03:38:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 05 Feb 2009 09:09:40 AM IST

HYDERABAD: Seeking a common symbol (rail engine) for the party to contest the ensuing Assembly elections, Praja Rajyam Party general secretary Allu Aravind filed a writ petition in the High Court here on Wednesday.

The Election Commission, in a letter, had informed the PRP leadership that it was not possible to allot a common symbol to all its candidates in the next elections. The letter dated Jan 20 reached the PRP office on Monday. Following this, the PRP filed a petition in the High Court seeking a common symbol for its Assembly and Lok Sabha candidates. In the petition, the PRP leader stated that party founder Chiranjeevi was receiving overwhelming response and the PRP would field its candidates in all the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies.

He claimed that 50 lakh people had taken membership forms from the party and explained that they had sought ‘rail engine’ symbol for the party, but that the EC had rejected it. A few weeks ago, Chiranjeevi approached Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami with a request to allot a common symbol.

After examining the request of PRP, the EC turned it down.

In its letter, the EC recalled past instances when the TDP and TRS sought a common symbol. When the TDP was launched in 1982, the EC informed the party leaders that they could select one symbol provided no independent candidate sought the same in any Assembly segment.

Fortunately, when the TDP selected the symbol, no independent insisted on the same in any segment.

The Election Commission also rejected allotment of a common symbol to the TRS after its inception. But, the TRS approached the High Court. Basing on the court’s directive, the EC allotted a common symbol to it.

At the same time, the EC also clarified that allotting a common symbol to the TRS was an exception and no ‘new party’ should take it as a precedent in future. Pointing out these two examples, the EC categorically said it was not possible to allot a common symbol to the PRP. Given that campaigning for elections wouldn't be easy without a common symbol, the PRP has taken recourse to legal remedies.