PUNE: The NCP (SP) is campaigning hard to get its new symbol of a man blowing ‘tutari’ to voters before the polls, but a new battle awaits. Independent candidates in the state are choosing symbols such as: It resembles the official symbol of Marathi.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has assigned a ‘man playing a tulha’ (a tulha is a traditional musical instrument, called tutari in Marathi) as the voting symbol for the NCP (SP).
The party has appealed to the people to vote for ‘Tuttari’ and incumbent MP Supriya Sule, who is seeking a fourth term from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, said during the election campaign, ‘Ram Krishna Hari Wajva’.・The slogan is “Tutari”.
Party functionaries alleged that the ECI had assigned a trumpet symbol to independent candidates in some constituencies in the state, calling it ‘tutari’ in Marathi, confusing voters.
Independent members from Baramati, Satara and Madha constituencies were allotted the ‘Tutari’ symbol and the NCP (SP) fielded candidates from all three seats.
Sule electoral representative Laxmikant Havya lodged a complaint with the ECI after the independent candidate from Baramati was allotted ‘Tutari’.
“Thuttari is a word from the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the trumpet is an instrument used in bands. It can never be translated to mean ‘tuttari’ in Marathi. Since both the symbols are similar, we have requested the ECI to take appropriate measures and avoid it. There is confusion among voters,” said Habiya.
NCP (SP) politician Aditi Nalawade has accused her party of conspiring to field independent candidates in a ‘tutari’ manner to confuse voters in seats where the party is fielding candidates. said it had filed a complaint with the ECI on April 12.
“We have requested the ECI not to allocate this symbol to constituencies where our party candidates are contesting elections. Six emails have been sent to the ECI; So far, we have not received any response,” she said.
She said Warda’s candidates had asked for a “trumpet” symbol, but it was changed because the candidates objected.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has assigned a ‘man playing a tulha’ (a tulha is a traditional musical instrument, called tutari in Marathi) as the voting symbol for the NCP (SP).
The party has appealed to the people to vote for ‘Tuttari’ and incumbent MP Supriya Sule, who is seeking a fourth term from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, said during the election campaign, ‘Ram Krishna Hari Wajva’.・The slogan is “Tutari”.
Party functionaries alleged that the ECI had assigned a trumpet symbol to independent candidates in some constituencies in the state, calling it ‘tutari’ in Marathi, confusing voters.
Independent members from Baramati, Satara and Madha constituencies were allotted the ‘Tutari’ symbol and the NCP (SP) fielded candidates from all three seats.
Sule electoral representative Laxmikant Havya lodged a complaint with the ECI after the independent candidate from Baramati was allotted ‘Tutari’.
“Thuttari is a word from the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the trumpet is an instrument used in bands. It can never be translated to mean ‘tuttari’ in Marathi. Since both the symbols are similar, we have requested the ECI to take appropriate measures and avoid it. There is confusion among voters,” said Habiya.
Expanding
“We have requested the ECI not to allocate this symbol to constituencies where our party candidates are contesting elections. Six emails have been sent to the ECI; So far, we have not received any response,” she said.
She said Warda’s candidates had asked for a “trumpet” symbol, but it was changed because the candidates objected.
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