Election symbol of AIMIM missing from ECI list

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

In a surprising development, the election symbol of AIMIM was found not included in the list of symbols released by the Election Commission of India.

The district election administration has pasted the list of symbols approved by the ECI in the Candidates Facilitation Centre (CFC). There were reserved symbols of AAP, BSP, BJP, CPI, Congress, NPP, MNS, Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and NCP (Sharad Pawar) parties, but not of AIMIM.

Meanwhile, the commission has also released the list of 200 free symbols for the candidates. Accordingly, the distribution of symbols has been made as per the choice of the candidate.

When inquired why AIMIM’s election symbol is not in the ECI list, the returning officer and district collector Deelip Swami said, “ We have received a letter from ECI stating that the election symbol of AIMIM is reserved in Bihar, Telangana and Maharashtra states only. Hence the symbol has been given to the party candidate.”

It is learnt that the other district collectors also contacted Swami for an update when they faced a similar problem in their jurisdiction.

When contacted the AIMIM candidate MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel said, “Our party symbol is registered in three states - Telangana, Bihar and Maharashtra. Hence it will not be given to anybody, but AIMIM candidates only in these states.”