The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a plea filed by Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh seeking allotment of a common election symbol for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
A single-judge bench of Justice Mini Pushkarna directed the poll body to file its reply by October 9, when the matter will be heard next.
The court had earlier, in August, issued notice to the ECI on a similar plea by the party requesting permission to use a common election symbol. On Monday, the judge was informed that the ECI had rejected the party’s request citing internal disputes.
Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the alleged internal dispute is no longer relevant, as one Sameer Singh Chandel—who was earlier at the centre of the controversy—has since been expelled from the party and “has no concern with the affairs of the party after expulsion.” Following this submission, the court issued a fresh notice to the ECI.
According to the plea, Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh was established in 1951 and renamed in 1979, and has consistently contested elections since its inception. The party said it has regularly applied for an election symbol in accordance with the law. It pointed out that during the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, the common election symbol “sitar” was allotted to it.
The petitioner argued that the party has a constitutional guarantee and a statutory right to contest elections, subject to legal safeguards. Denial of a common election symbol, it contended, would effectively deprive the party of its opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
