The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission has allotted election symbols to three registered political parties for the state’s upcoming urban and rural local body elections, setting out how the symbols may be used across constituencies and the conditions attached to party participation.
State election commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha issued the order in Vijayawada on Friday. The Jayeeta Sama Samajam Party has been allotted the ‘Bat’ symbol, the Bharatha Chaitanya Yuvajana Party has received the ‘Battery Torch’, and the Rashtriya Praja Congress (Secular) Party has been allotted the ‘Gas Cylinder’ symbol.
The order is relevant to the conduct of local elections because symbols are used by candidates and parties on ballot papers and other election material. For registered parties contesting local body elections, a common symbol can help voters identify candidates fielded by the same organisation across different constituencies.
The State Election Commission said the free symbols allotted as common symbols to candidates set up by these parties would remain available for allotment to candidates of other parties or independents in constituencies where the respective parties do not field candidates.
This provision means the allotment does not automatically reserve the symbols for use by the three parties in every constituency across Andhra Pradesh. Their availability will depend on whether the parties set up candidates in particular constituencies. The order therefore links the continued practical use of the symbols to the parties’ participation in the local elections.
The commission has also specified a financial consequence if any of the three parties fails to field candidates in at least 10 per cent of the total seats in the elections. In that situation, the party will forfeit a deposit of ₹1 lakh. The order does not provide, in the supplied material, the total number of seats for the urban and rural local body elections or the election schedule.
Andhra Pradesh’s local body elections cover institutions responsible for functions delivered close to residents, including municipal and rural local administration. The symbol decision is consequently an administrative step ahead of polling, while the 10 per cent threshold establishes a minimum level of electoral participation for the parties to retain the financial deposit.
The commission’s order does not indicate whether the three parties have already selected candidates or identify the constituencies in which they intend to contest. It establishes the symbols and the conditions governing their availability, with further candidate and constituency details dependent on subsequent election-related actions by the parties and the commission.
