Huge Setback to BRS on Poll Symbols, SC Refuses to Hear Party Plea

Hyderabad: In a huge setback to the BRS, the Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain its petition challenging the allotment of election symbols that are ‘deceptively similar” to its car symbol. The BRS petition was filed following the Election Commission of India allotting two smaller parties symbols of a road roller and chapati roller.

The BRS says these two symbols look like its car symbol and confuses voters and divert its votes.

On Thursday, the SC Bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka, and Pankaj Mithal refused to hear the BRS plea that the similar symbols caused “serious prejudice” to it as a political party, and dismissed the petition.

The BRS was represented by senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Meenakshi Arora who contended that the ECI’s September 25 notification allotting the chapati roller and road roller poll symbols to the Alliance of Democratic Reforms Party and Yuga Tulasi Party should be cancelled.

The bench asked the BRS if the party believed that the voters were “so unaware that they will not understand the difference between these poll symbols.” Yuga Tulasi Party told the court that the EVMs will also have the pictures of the candidates next to the poll symbol. The Bench refused to entertain a separate appeal of the BRS against a Telangana High Court order earlier on the same issue.