The Delhi High Court has ordered the Election Commission of India to allot a common symbol to the Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The move comes after the party’s earlier application was rejected by the ECI.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to provide a common election symbol to the Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh, enabling the party to contest the upcoming Bihar Legislative Assembly elections scheduled next month.
Justice Mini Pushkarna passed the order, instructing the political party to submit an application before the ECI in accordance with the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order.
The Court stated in its order.
“Subject to the petitioner complying with the said direction, it is directed that a common symbol shall be allotted forthwith to the petitioner to contest the state assembly election of Bihar,”
The Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh, which was registered in 1989, is an unrecognised political party claiming to have roots in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The party had approached the High Court after the ECI rejected its application for allotment of a symbol through a communication issued on September 1.
In its petition, the party highlighted that it has the constitutional and statutory right to contest elections and argued that the refusal of the ECI to allot an election symbol would deprive it of the opportunity to participate in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The plea also stated that the ECI’s reasons for rejecting its application were “evasive, erroneous and devoid of reasoning.” The party further asserted that there is no internal dispute within it, contrary to the allegations made by the ECI.
This is the second time the Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh has approached the Delhi High Court regarding this matter. During the hearing of its previous petition, the High Court had directed the ECI to consider the party’s representation dated August 25 expeditiously.
Despite this, the ECI rejected the application on September 1, prompting the party to return to the High Court seeking relief.
Advocates Pranay Ranjan and Mrigank Prabhakar represented the Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh in court, pushing for the allotment of a common symbol to ensure the party can contest the elections without any legal or procedural hindrance.
This order comes as a significant development for the Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh, reaffirming its right to participate in democratic processes and underscoring the High Court’s role in upholding electoral fairness.
The ruling ensures that the party will now have the official symbol required to field candidates in the Bihar elections next month.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on ECI
