Delhi poll panel to consider plea to remove symbols from MCD poll EVMs: HC

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the State Election Commission (SEC) to consider a plea seeking to remove election symbols from the ballots in the electronic voting machines (EVM) for municipal polls in Delhi.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi asked the state poll panel to take a decision on the issue till the next municipal elections.

The court direction came while disposing off a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Alka Ghalot, who unsuccessfully contested the election to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) from Ward No. 027-S, Nawada, held on April 23, 2017. She has urged the court to use photographs of the contesting candidates on the ballot paper of the balloting unit of the EVMs.

"In the presence of photograph of the contesting candidate on the ballot paper there is no need of any other election symbol. Even illiterate voters can identify their candidate by seeing the photograph of candidates and cast their vote in secrecy," Ghalot said.

Alka Ghalot's counsel H. S. Gahlot told the court that Ghalot is continuously working for the welfare of the people and wants to again contest the civic elections, which is likely to be held in 2022, or even earlier.

"There is a real fear of losing, as the petitioner (Alka Ghalot) would be allotted a new election symbol just 15 days before the day of polling, whereas, some other candidates would contest election on reserved symbols, which is a blatant violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India," the petitioner said.

The advocate further said that the state poll panel has failed to hold free and fair municipal corporation elections in Delhi by adopting the practice of reserving election symbols of recognised political parties.IANS