MCD elections: Swaraj India cries foul after denial of poll symbol

After the Delhi high court denied a common symbol to newly formed party Swaraj India, the party leaders accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of “conspiracy”. Swaraj India said the AAP deliberately sat on a proposal of the Election Commission to modify rules that could have allowed the former to have a symbol.

Party leader and founder Yogendra Yadav said the State Election Commission had written to the Delhi government in March 2015 to modify rules to allow recognised political parties, willing to contest 10% of the total seats, to have a common symbol for the polls.

“The State Election Commission asked the Delhi government to treat this matter on a priority basis but the AAP government sat on it for two years. This was a conspiracy against Swaraj India by the Delhi government and the AAP to deny it a level playing field,” Yadav said.

Swaraj India leader Prashant Bhushan said the party will challenge the order in Supreme Court and termed it as “unfair and the one violating equality”.

Yogender Yadav said that AAP was the first beneficiary of the rule in the 2013 Delhi Assembly elections. However, it does not want other political parties to benefit from the same rule.

The Election Commission allows recognised political parties to contest on a common symbol, if they contest at least 10% of the total seats.

Swaraj India will make its electoral debut in the Delhi civic polls scheduled on April 23. The party was launched in October last year by Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav after parting ways with AAP.