After the split of the NCP, the Central Election Commission has given a new party symbol to the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sharad Chandra Pawar. However, in this Year's Lok Sabha elections, some independent candidates are also being given the symbol of 'Tutari' which is similar to Sharad Pawar's 'Man Blowing Tutari' symbol. After Baramati, an independent candidate has also been given the Tutari symbol in Shirur.
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The Election Commission has recently distributed symbols to independent candidates who have filed nominations for the Lok Sabha elections. In the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency, independent candidate Manohar Wadekar has been given the trumpet symbol. The symbol has been translated by the commission into Marathi as 'Tutari'. Indeed, this symbol is completely different from the NCP Sharad Chandra Pawar party symbol in appearance. However, the commission's translation of trumpets as Tutari is likely to create confusion among voters.
What did Wadekar, who received the trumpet symbol, say?
Independent candidate Manohar Wadekar had sought the symbol 'Tutari' from the Election Commission. "I have got the symbol 'Tutari' as I have asked for from the Election Commission. The opposing candidate has got the symbol of Man Blowing Tutari. Therefore, the voters will not be misled by this symbol," Wadekar said.
Supriya Sule had objected
An independent candidate from Baramati Lok Sabha constituency has also been given the election symbol of Tutari by the commission. Supriya Sule, the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate from Baramati, had objected to the similarity between the trumpet symbol and their party's symbol. However, the objection was rejected by the Election Commission. The time to raise objections has passed, chief electoral officer S Chokkalingam had said.
Sule, meanwhile, said in her objection that the translation of the trumpet instrument as "Tutari" in the commission's book had created confusion among voters. "The trumpet is a free-sign and has already been distributed, and the time to object itb has passed. Also, trumpets and Tutari symbol appear when voting, not their names. So, there is no question of confusion of voters, the two symbols cannot be compared," Choklingam had said.