Car-like symbols back on ECI list, BRS fumes

HYDERABAD: Symbols similar to its 'car' are back to haunt the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) ahead of the assembly elections this year. Despite BRS' repeated objections over such free symbols, the same again figure in the list released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) recently.
Of the 193 free symbols released by the ECI on May 15 for independent candidates in the upcoming assembly elections in five states including Telangana, symbols objected by BRS such as 'road roller', 'chapati roller', 'doli', 'sewing machine', 'soap dish', 'television', 'camera' and 'ship' have also been included.
BRS leaders said these free symbols may create confusion among voters, especially in rural areas, and can damage party prospects in certain seats.
"The party would soon file a fresh objection with the ECI by giving the list of free symbols that look similar to our symbol 'car'. The party will also explain how some symbols damaged the party prospects in earlier elections," BRS senior leader Bharat Kumar Soma told TOI.
Soma Bharat had earlier filed objections with ECI on free symbols on behalf of the BRS.
Former BRS MP and Telangana Planning Board vice-chairman B Vinod Kumar said ‘road roller’ was removed from the list of free symbols by the ECI in November 2011 but the commission included it again later in the list despite the party’s objections.
Following BRS (then TRS) objection after 2018 assembly polls over similar free symbols costing it votes and seats, the ECI had removed ‘truck’, ‘auto rickshaw’, ‘hat’ and ‘iron box’ from the list. During Munugode bypoll, the pink party had again approached the election authorities for removal of eight symbols including ‘road roller’, ‘chapati roller’ and others, but the commission did not agree for any change.
The BRS leader said that due to small size of symbols on EVMs and poor light in polling booths, it’s easy for voters to mistake such symbols for BRS’ ‘car’. “Thousands of BRS votes are likely to be diverted to independent candidates with symbols resembling ‘car’. They are obviously backed by our political opponents,” Soma Bharat said.