Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) welcomes ECI decision to freeze similar looking symbols

Mumbai, Jul 19 (PTI) The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) on Friday welcomed the Election Commission of India's decision to freeze 'pippani' (trumpet) and 'tutari' (turha) symbols and asserted the BJP caused confusion on them among voters in the Lok Sabha polls, which caused losses to the Sharad Pawar-led party.

"We are thankful to the state Election commission....truth has prevailed. The trumpet symbol was misused by the BJP to confuse our voters. People were confused between our 'man playing turha" symbol and the trumpet symbol, the example of which was seen in Satara constituency where our candidate Shashikant Shinde lost because voters pressed the trumpet symbol thinking it was the NCP SP symbol," claimed NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto.

In Satara, Shinde lost to BJP's Udayanaraje Bhosale by 32,771 votes. However, an independent candidate who fought the Lok Sabha polls on the 'pippani' symbol' garnered 37,062 votes, which was higher than the victory margin.

Post the Lok Sabha elections, the NCP (SP) had asked the poll body to remove these similar looking symbols.

The election commission in Maharashtra, in its order of July 16, froze the trumpet and turha symbols and removed them from the list of free symbols.

The poll body, in its order, said the freezing of these free symbols is subject to the decision of the Supreme Court on the splits in the NCP and Shiv Sena.

Crasto exuded confidence that the people will now know the right symbol and will vote for the NCP (SP) in large numbers.

Maharashtra assembly polls are likely to be held in October. PTI