Daijiworld Media Network

New Delhi, Jan 30: Alleging the Congress party’s iconic ‘Palm of Hand’ symbol violates a section of the Representation of People Act, as well as the model code of conduct, BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay has moved the Election Commission asking for its withdrawal.

Upadhyay submitted a six-page petition to Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat, and the poll panel's legal advisor.

In his letter, Upadhyay notes that the 'Palm of Hand' "is the only election symbol, which is a part of the human body and therefore available as an inseverable part of the human body at any point of time."

"The Model Code of Conduct clearly describes the cessation of election campaign before 48 hours of the polling and Section 130 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, bans exhibition of the election symbol within 100 metres periphery on polling day. However, election symbol 'Palm of Hand' allotted to Indian National Congress is such that is been misused even after election campaigning has come to an end."

"Contesting candidates, supporters and election agents of the Congress misuse the election symbol 'Palm of Hand' even on the polling day and also inside the polling booths by gesturing and showing the preference for the voting by a simple wave of the hand, or even by just pointing to it," read the petition.

Complaints about this "misuse" of an election symbol "have never yielded any result," he said.

"It is clear that this misuse is only a result of the allotment of a unique symbol which is inextricably linked to the human body, and in fact, the very part of which is most essential for marking the vote with indelible ink”.

Earlier symbol two buffaloes

It is interesting to note that the ‘palm of the hand’ was not the original Congress symbol. The earlier symbol was two buffaloes but Indira Gandhi managed to change the symbol to the hand in the 1970s.

According to Upadhyay, Election Commission will issue notices and the matter will be heard in the poll panel. If the error is not rectified, then Upadhyay may even move the petition to the Supreme Court.

The ‘Palm of the Hand’ has become the identity of the Congress for decades and losing it could affect the party’s branding.