EC Includes ‘Shapla Koli’ in Revised Electoral Symbol List

Election Commission (EC) included Shapla Koli (Water Lily Bud) in its revised list of 119 electoral symbols. A gazette notification, signed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, was released on Thursday. 

To incorporate Shapla Koli, a symbol sought by the National Citizen Party (NCP), EC has amended the Election Conduct Rules. 

The notification stated that the amendment was made under the authority granted by Article 94 of the 1972 Constitution.

It further mentioned that sub-rule (1) of rule 9 under the Election Conduct Rules, 2008 has been replaced with a new sub-rule, allowing any contesting candidate—subject to availability—to be allotted one of the listed symbols, except those suspended under clause 20.

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Meanwhile, a total of 20 new symbols have been added to the updated list while 16 old ones have been excluded. 

Other newly included symbols are: Camel, Comb, Torchlight, Table Lamp, Tractor, Dressing Table, Lock, Double-decker Bus, Turban, Water Tap, Palanquin, Fruit Basket, Baby Taxi, Electric Bulb, Motorcycle, Staircase, Sunflower, Railway Engine, and Handshake.

The excluded symbols are: Banana, Cot, Ostrich, Charger Light, Tiffin Carrier, Drum, Watermelon, Refrigerator, Flute, Bench, Brinjal, Balloon, Bottle Gourd, Conch Shell, Suitcase and Flower Pot.