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Calcutta High Court Reserves Verdict on AISF Symbol Plea
The All India Secular Front used an envelope as its election symbol.
The Election Commission later gave that symbol to another Trinamool Congress faction.
AISF legislator Nawsad Siddique asked the Calcutta High Court to restore it.
The judge questioned why the symbol was not simply kept unused while the dispute was considered.
The Election Commission said a free symbol cannot be given to the same party more than twice.
The court heard both sides on Monday.
It has not yet announced its decision.
The verdict has been reserved for a later date.
The Calcutta High Court reserved its verdict after hearing the AISF’s challenge to the Election Commission’s withdrawal of its envelope symbol.
The symbol was instead allotted to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction ahead of bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar.
Justice Krishna Rao questioned why the Election Commission did not freeze the symbol rather than assign it to another party.
The Election Commission argued that a free symbol cannot be allotted to any party more than twice.
AISF legislator Nawsad Siddique filed the petition, arguing he had contested and won elections with the envelope symbol in 2021 and 2026.
- Who
- The All India Secular Front, Nawsad Siddique, the Election Commission of India, and the Ritabrata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction.
- What
- The Calcutta High Court heard AISF’s plea challenging the withdrawal and reassignment of its envelope election symbol and reserved its verdict.
- Where
- The case was heard in the Calcutta High Court concerning bypolls in West Bengal’s Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies.
- When
- The hearing concluded on Monday; the article also refers to the symbol decision being announced earlier this month and elections held in 2021 and 2026.
- Why
- AISF challenged the reassignment because Siddique said he had contested and won elections twice using the envelope symbol.
AISF and court concerns
Election Commission position
Whether the symbol should have been reassigned
AISF and court concerns
AISF argued that the envelope symbol should not have been withdrawn and reassigned, noting that Nawsad Siddique had contested and won with it in 2021 and 2026. Justice Krishna Rao questioned why the symbol was not frozen.
Election Commission position
The Election Commission defended its decision to allot the symbol to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction and argued that a free symbol cannot be allotted to a party more than twice.
Effect of AISF’s previous use
AISF and court concerns
Justice Rao questioned the justification for giving the symbol to another party after AISF had used it in recent elections.
Election Commission position
The Election Commission maintained that its rules concerning free-symbol allotments supported the reassignment.
Key facts
- Court
- Calcutta High Court
- Judge
- Justice Krishna Rao
- Petitioner
- Nawsad Siddique, the lone AISF legislator in the West Bengal Assembly
- Disputed symbol
- Envelope
- Symbol recipient
- The Ritabrata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction
- Relevant constituencies
- Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies
- Election Commission argument
- A free symbol cannot be allotted to a party more than twice
Sources
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