BRS urges State poll body to delete symbols similar to car

HYDERABAD

Ahead of the forthcoming elections to the rural and urban local bodies in the State, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has requested the State Election Commissioner to delete certain identical symbols which look like the BRS election symbol of car from the list of free symbols to avoid confusion among the electorate.

In a letter addressed and submitted to the State Election Commissioner, BRS leaders B. Vinod Kumar and S. Bharath Kumar said on Tuesday that the symbols identical to the BRS election symbol of car was being misused to cut into the votes of BRS. They explained that opponents of BRS were taking advantage of such identical symbols to confuse voters in choosing and recognising the BRS’ car symbol on the ballot papers.

Candidates who have contested on the identical symbols such as “chapati rollers, camera, ship and a few others got/secured votes more than some of the recognised national parties too. A look at such symbols with the size in which they are displayed on ballot papers/EVM machines clearly show the similarities of the free symbols with the BRS symbol of car.

It could be clearly understood as to how candidates getting those symbols had been cutting into BRS votes in the past, affecting the prospects of BRS candidates. They also explained with details how the candidates who were allotted symbols identical to that of BRS have secured considerable number of votes, which otherwise would have been polled to BRS.

They also requested the SEC to give an opportunity to the party (BRS) to appear in person to present the case properly to ensure a free and fair elections to the local bodies.