Symbolic Struggle: NCP's Turha vs Trumpet

The Election Commission agreed to the NCP's request for better display of their symbol 'man blowing turha' on voting machines but denied the party's demand to freeze the similar trumpet symbol. The NCP argues the trumpet symbol misled voters during elections, affecting their chances.

The Election Commission has addressed a pressing concern raised by the NCP (Sharad Pawar) regarding the visibility of their election symbol on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The commission has approved the NCP's request for more prominent display of their 'man blowing turha' symbol on EVM ballot units.

Despite agreeing to this request, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar rejected the NCP's demand to freeze the similar 'trumpet' symbol used by independent candidates. Kumar clarified that altering the established system of election symbol allocation is not in the commission's agenda.

The NCP contended that the trumpet symbol had caused confusion among voters, leading them to believe it was similar to their emblem. This, the party claims, directly influenced the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections in the Satara constituency, where an independent candidate secured more votes using the trumpet symbol.

(With inputs from agencies.)