Symbols resembling TRS Car secure nearly 6,500 votes

Hyderabad/Nalgonda: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS) had repeatedly raised concerns that symbols identical to the party’s ‘Car’ symbol could confuse voters while using the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). And the counting on Sunday proved those fears to be true, with such symbols securing nearly 6,500 votes. If it was not for the Road […]

Hyderabad/Nalgonda: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS) had repeatedly raised concerns that symbols identical to the party’s ‘Car’ symbol could confuse voters while using the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). And the counting on Sunday proved those fears to be true, with such symbols securing nearly 6,500 votes.

If it was not for the Road Roller, Roti Maker and a few other symbols, which resembled the Car while seen on the EVM, the majority of TRS candidate K Prabhakar Reddy would have been much higher.

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After completion of all the 15 rounds OF counting, M Srisailam Yadav (Roti Maker) bagged 2,407 votes, Erpula Galaih (Chappal) secured 2,270 votes and K Shiva Kumar (Road roller) ended up bagging 1,874 votes. The total votes polled by these candidates was 6,551 votes.

This had happened in the previous elections and it recurred in Munugode as well. Fearing this, the TRS party had appealed to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to delete the eight symbols, which were identical to the party’s Car symbol, from the list of free symbols. To this effect, TRS General Secretary S Bharath Kumar had led a delegation and submitted a representation to Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj.

In March 2011, the ECI through a notification had deleted the “40-Road roller” symbol from the list of free symbols. However, the symbol featured in the list of free symbols again. Taking advantage of identical symbols available in the list, independent candidates try to confuse the voters in choosing and recognizing the TRS symbol ‘Car’ in the EVM, the TRS leaders charged.

However, the ECI did not consider the ruling TRS party’s appeal. The TRS leaders and workers had staged a protest at Chandur RO office in Munugode as ECI did not consider the party’s plea to delete the eight symbols.