Election machinery stays up until dawn for symbol approval

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The election machinery remained awake until the dawn of Tuesday to get approval for independent candidates’ symbols.

It may be noted that there are 37 candidates in the fray for the Aurangabad Lok Sabha Constituency elections after the withdrawal of nomination papers on Monday. It will require three Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) on each booth for the voting. The candidates of top parties will get a place in the first EVM.

The names of top party candidates are Chandrakant Khaire (Shiv Sena-Thackeray group), Sandeepan Bhumre (Shiv Sena, Shinde faction), Sanjay Jagtap (BSP), Afsar Khan Yaseen Khan (Vanchat Bahujan Aghadi) and MP Imtiaz Jaleel (AIMIM).

After allotted symbols to the top party candidates, the independent candidates were given symbols at 5 pm on Monday on the basis of their preference. Since there was competition for the symbol, the election officer drew lots of independence candidates’ symbols.

The list of symbols was sent to the Election Commission for approval at 7 pm. The officers were hoping to get approval until late at night. However, they did not get an email by midnight. There was a delay from the election commission to give final approval to the list from all constituencies of the fourth phase elections.

The administration was worried about the delay in the approval of the lists. District collector Deelip Swami along with other officers were sitting in the office. The election commission gave approval to the symbols and ballot paper by email at 3.30 am today.

District collector Swami, deputy collectors Devendra Katke and Prabhoday Muley heaved a sigh of relief on receiving the mail and left for home at 4 am.

“Form 7-A list was approved as per Marathi alphabets. The names of the candidates on the list were included as per the alphabet,” Devendra Katke, deputy collector (Election Department).

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Canvassing is more interesting due to the symbols

Independent candidates were given unique symbols. So, the canvassing will be more interesting. Some of the symbols are as follows; gas cylinder, ship, ring, pen nib, fruit basket, sewing machine, truck, trumpet, sugarcane farmer, petrol pump, diamond, cupboard, auto rickshaw, cauldron, cooler, TV remote, apple, coconut garden, electric pole, envelope, notebook, whistle, pressure cooker, iron, flute, computer, road roller, spanner, green chilli, TV set and bat.