Ranchi, October 16 (IANS). Nitish Kumar’s party Janata Dal United (JDU) has been allotted the ‘Gas Cylinder’ election symbol for the Jharkhand Assembly elections. The Election Commission of India has given official information about this by writing a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand on Wednesday.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) had already written a letter to the Commission requesting that JDU should not be allotted ‘Arrow’ as the election symbol in Jharkhand. JMM has already been allotted the bow and arrow symbol. In such a situation, allotment of ‘Arrow’ symbol to any other party may create confusion among the voters. In the year 2019 also, the Election Commission had banned JDU from contesting elections on the arrow symbol in Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
JDU does not have the status of a national party, hence it cannot claim to contest elections on the arrow symbol outside Bihar, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. It has the status of a state level party in these three states.
In the light of the Election Commission’s 2019 decision, JDU had requested the Commission to allot ‘Gas Cylinder’ election symbol in Jharkhand, which has been accepted.
This time JDU has prepared to contest the Jharkhand Assembly elections under NDA. The party has claimed 11 out of 81 seats in the state under the alliance. It is expected that within the next two-three days the situation regarding seat sharing in NDA will become completely clear.
Voting is to be held in Jharkhand in two phases on 13 and 20 November. Counting of votes will take place on November 23.
–IANS
SNC/AKJ
