Maharashtra Assembly election 2024: Bahujan Vikas Aghadi gets ‘whistle’ symbol for upcoming polls

In January this year, the ECI had allocated the ‘whistle’ symbol to the JD(U) for both the Lok Sabha and the State Assembly elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday (November 4, 2024) informed the Bombay High Court that Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) would be allotted the ‘whistle’ symbol for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election. 

In January this year, the ECI had allocated the symbol to the Janata Dal (United) for both the Lok Sabha as well as the State Assembly election. The BVA had approached the ECI in August requesting that the ‘whistle’ symbol be allocated to them for the upcoming State Assembly election but were turned down at the time. Subsequently, the BVA filed a writ petition against the ECI in the Bombay High Court on Saturday (November 2, 2024). 

A division Bench of Justices Somasekhar Sundaresan and Arif Doctor was hearing the petition on Monday (November 4, 2024). 

Senior advocate, Akshay Shinde, representing the ECI, submitted a letter received from the JD(U) informing about its decision to not contest the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Mr. Shinde said that the JD(U) had surrendered the whistle symbol and a letter confirming the move was received by the ECI on October 30. Thus, the party was surrendering the ‘whistle’ symbol allotted to it by virtue of an order dated January 30, the JD(U) said in the letter. Since the petitioner (BVA) had applied for the ‘whistle’ symbol, the same would be allotted to the party by following the procedure laid down in the requisite rules and guidelines, the ECI submitted to the Bench.

The Bench said that, since the BVA had applied for the ‘whistle’ symbol as per guidelines, it would be allotted to the party and the petition was disposed of. 

Published - November 04, 2024 08:43 pm IST