RLD asks Uttar Pradesh state election commissioner to reserve ‘hand pump’ symbol for its candidates in urban body poll

LUCKNOW: A day after the revocation of Rashtriya Lok Dal’s state party status, its chief Jayant Chaudhary Tuesday wrote to the Uttar Pradesh state election commissioner asking it to reserve ‘hand pump’, the party’s poll symbol, for it in the upcoming urban local body elections.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has nine members in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and presently is in alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

In a letter to the SEC on Tuesday, Chaudhary said, ”In the urban body elections to be held in Uttar Pradesh, please try to reserve Rashtriya Lok Dal’s election symbol ‘hand pump’ on all the seats for the party’s candidates only.” The foundation of RLD was laid by Chaudhary Ajit Singh, son of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. Jayant Chaudhary is currently the national president of the party.

According to Election Commission officials, parties can regain their national and state party status based on their performance in future electoral cycles as also the Lok Sabha elections due next year.

”Our party is looking into the technical aspects of the Election Commission’s decision and further strategy will be decided after taking opinion from legal experts,” RLD’s national spokesperson Anil Dubey told PTI.

Ruling out the possibilities of any negative impact of the Election Commission’s decision on the morale of the party workers, he exuded confidence that the poll panel would allot the ‘hand pump’ symbol to the party candidates.

Source: Press Trust of India