Bengaluru: Election Commission allotted election symbols of candidates hilarious

Bengaluru : As the Karnataka Assembly elections is only three days away all the candidates in the election arena are campaigning a big way for their victory. However, rather than the candidates in the arena, the symbol given to the candidates by the Election Commission are gaining people’s attention. One should take a look at the symbols on the electronic voting machine when they arrive to vote on May 10. Then one will know what kind of symbols have been given by the Election Commission.

Candidates from three major parties and other parties got good symbols. But, if you see the entire list in the EVM, you will be surprised. There is a mobile charger, cake, slippers, CCTV camera and other symbols given for the candidates. Apart from this, sports materials like bat, hockey stick, carrom board, football are also election symbols and fruits are also given as symbols to the candidates.

In this election, 794 Independent candidates are in the fray. The Election Commission also takes three choices from Independent candidates before giving them symbols, after which symbols are distributed. Candidates’ ideology, their competitive spirit or their tactics to easily attract voters influence the choice of symbols.

The Independent candidate of Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Subhash S, himself responded about the symbols given by the Election Commission, and he was given a chess board as a symbol. A lawyer by background, Subhash says, politics is like a chess game, every step has to be taken very carefully. You have to think a lot after placing. The chess board represents all the tactics of politics. So I suggested the chess board.

A cricket bat symbol has been given to Chidananda Krishna Chavan, a Independent candidate in Kagavad assembly constituency of Belgaum district. “I am a cricket lover, a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar, I chose a batsman among the options of cylinder, auto rickshaw and batsman,” said Chidananda.

Astrology and numerology also influence the choice of signs. Still others choose nearby, related objects as symbols. Similarly, Ravi Shivappa, a software engineer contesting from Athani and Jamkhandi, has chosen a mobile charger as his symbol.

However, not everyone gets the symbol they want. Only a few lucky ones get the sign they want. Kadu Rupesh Gurunath, who is contesting in Belgaum Rural, did not get the symbol he wanted. As I am an auto rickshaw driver I wanted to get an auto rickshaw sign. But, he said, he has got a Mixer symbol.