The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, which has been recognised as a “State party” in Delhi following its election victory, is allotted the symbol – broomstick (jhaadu) – as the reserved symbol for the party by the Election Commission.
Informed sources said this was following a request sent by AAP seeking to retain “broomstick”, which it used to register a spectacular performance in the Delhi polls (earlier it was among the free symbols in Delhi), as its reserved symbol. However, for the polls outside Delhi, the party has to give in writing at the time of nomination if it wished to use the symbol for its candidates. In other parts of the country the “broomstick” would continue to be among the free symbols and preference would be given in allocation if the AAP candidates wished so.
AAP, which won 28 of the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi and obtained over 30 per cent of the vote share, was recognised as a State party by the Commission following fulfilment of the eligibility conditions set by the EC for granting such honour.
To get the EC’s recognition as a “State Party”, all the candidates set up by the party together should get a minimum of eight per cent of the valid votes polled in the entire State or secure a minimum of six per cent of the total votes polled and one Assembly seat for every 30 seats in that State.
Though AAP had the choice of designing its own symbol, subject to the provisions of EC rules, the party decided to retain “broomstick” as its reserved symbol, source added.
