With factions led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav laying claim on the Samajwadi Party’s ‘cycle’ symbol, the Election Commission is likely to freeze the insignia and ask each group to pick new names and symbols for the interim.
On Monday, Mulayam met the Election Commission here, while the other faction headed by his son Akhilesh is likely to approach the EC on Tuesday to explain its case for retaining the party symbol.
This follows the virtual split in the party with Akhilesh being named National President of the SP, supplanting Mulayam, at an emergency convention of the party in Lucknow on Sunday. Mulayam termed the meeting “unconstitutional” and not accepted its resolutions, which also involved him being named patron, the expulsion of his lieutenant Amar Singh and the removal of his brother Shivpal Yadav as this and claims to be the only Samajwadi Party.
According to sources, with the announcement of elections to Uttar Pradesh and four other States “being imminent”, the EC does not have the time to verify the legislative majority of both factions. In such a situation, it can pass an interim order asking both sides to pick a new party name and symbol.
On matters involving splinter groups or rival sections of a recognised political party, the EC is empowered to decide that one such rival section, or none, represents the party. The Commission’s decision shall be binding on all such rival sections or groups.
The precedent The Commission last exercised this power in December 2011, when Chief Election Commissioner V Sampath and the other two members of the EC passed an order concerning the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal during Assembly elections in the State. Both factions of the party had laid claim to the symbol ‘chair’.
The letter of the Uttarakhand Chief Electoral Officer, approved the ‘cup and saucer’ for the group led by Trivender Singh Pawar, the ‘kite’ for the Jantantrik Uttarakhand Kranti Dal for the faction led by Diwakar Bhatt.
EC to meet officers of five States
The Election Commission will on Tuesday meet the Chief Electoral Officers and Nodal Police Officers of the five States that are slated to go to the polls this year.
The Commission will review not only the final leg of poll preparations, but also the law and order situation and the publication of the revised electoral rolls.
The term of Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand assemblies will expire soon and the Commission wants to make sure that the situation is right for holding the polls in these States.
A final decision on the date of the polling and on the holding of elections in phases will be taken only after the meeting on Tuesday. At the moment, the Commission is tight-lipped on the poll dates, which are expected to be announced this week.