New Delhi, Apr 18: The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition seeking directions to the Election Commission of India to allot permanent election symbols to un-recognised regional parties. In a verdict, two to one, the Apex Court upheld the criteria of the EC for grant of symbols to such parties.
 A bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir while dismissing the petition said, 'it is the job of Election Commission to allot election symbols and court cannot interfere.' The Supreme Court also rejected the contention of the petitioner that permanent election symbol is necessary to avoid confusion about the political parties they want to vote for and majority of illiterate electorate depends on election symbols to identify the political party they want to support. While Justice S S Nijjar concurred with Justice Kabir, Justice Jasti Cheamesar, the third judge on the Bench, wrote a dissenting order against the EC’s existing symbol allotment policy.
 The court passed the order on a batch of petitions filed by state political parties challenging the symbol order of the EC.
 According to the EC's guidelines, permanent symbol is granted to those political parties which have garnered at least five per cent votes in Assembly elections or have managed to win two assembly seats or one seat in Parliamentary elections from the state.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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