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Vote For the Cauliflower! Strange Symbols in India’s Elections

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

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“Vote for Cauliflower”. Yes, it's a legit symbol approved by the Election Commission (EC) of India. And there’s a good possibility of you hearing this if you visit one of the poll-bound states in 2017.

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

Before the real dangal begins in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav are already wrestling over the Samajwadi Party symbol – a bicycle. What’s the big deal? Quite a lot.

The idea behind election symbols was to include the illiterate population, but also to maintain a secret ballot. While the Congress’ ‘palm’ and the BJP’s ‘Lotus’ have become widely known and largely synonymous with these parties, there’s a bank of symbols for the smaller political groups too.

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

The Election Commission of India currently has a list of free symbols, which can also be called as a ‘starter pack’ for political candidature. If a candidate or party secures enough votes, then they can reserve a political symbol for future.

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What’s on the Platter?

The starter pack is an interesting mix of randomness. If you're in the nascent phase of your political career, this might be one of the most difficult decisions you’d face.

Among the very first items, there's a balloon you can choose. Just imagine the cacophony of supporters chanting, "Keemti vote se jeet dilayein, gubbare ko upar le jayein". That makes me binge on cringe.

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

That's still fine, if you go further in the list, one of the EC approved symbols include a 'saw'. That maybe a sharp tool to cut through political noise, but I won't be very excited to attend a rally where a party with this symbol campaigns. Who'd want to jostle in a crowd of saw brandishing supporters? “Humara iraada, saw pratishat kaam ka waada”?

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

I’d much rather go for the party choosing the ‘plate containing food’ symbol. I’d be happy to listen to their goals of ending the country’s hunger while feasting on a vegetarian thaali.

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

The Election Commission also seems to have a taste for music, going by the list. For your choosing, there’s a flute, a harmonium, a trumpet, a violin and somehow, a whistle too. Maybe for those rare occasions, when members take the word ‘party’ a bit too literally.

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

If you’re a candidate looking for something minimal, fret not, EC has covered you too! Choose from a very banal ‘Cube’ or an absolutely no non-sense ‘triangle’. These symbols can also be translated as ‘No, I’m not serious about my candidature either’.

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

Then there’s a ‘diesel pump’, a ‘plate stand’, a ‘lady purse’ (why not call it a handbag?), a ‘tent’ and also a ‘skipping rope’ completing the picture. For the upcoming elections, the EC has released an ‘additional’ list of symbols, which includes ‘bricks’, a ‘drilling machine’, and ‘dumbbells’. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab candidates may be all smiles.

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Are These for Real?

The EC has released a list of parties and their political identities in the upcoming elections. Here are a few of the real parties you may find on the voting machines.

Akhil Bhartiya Kalyan Party, contesting in 22 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, will get a ‘frock’ as its symbol. Desh Shakti Party, contesting in 403 constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, is hoping for a booster shot with a ‘syringe’ as their symbol.

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

In Uttarakhand, Apni Zindagi Apna Dal may look for organic growth, and is fighting in 70 constituencies with a ‘cauliflower’ as its symbol. In Punjab, the Democratic Swaraj Party is facing the competition with a ‘saw’. They came, they saw, but will they conquer? March has all the answers.

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What Follows?

After an election symbol is allotted, a political party makes sure to wear it on their sleeves, and often get covered in one, metaphorically as well as literally.

In Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, after coming to power, covered acres of land with statutes of elephant, which happens to be their party symbol.

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.
Mayawati’s ‘Ambedkar Park’ with a lot of elephants cast in stone. (Photo: Reuters)

Akhilesh Yadav’s (or Mulayam Singh’s?) Samajwadi Party and N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) share the same political symbol – a cycle. Naturally, a lot of free cycles, among other sops, get distributed to promote their ‘brand’. How much do the voters get affected, and do they recycle? 2017 shall answer a part of that question.

Voting for a balloon, or a frock? There are some very weird symbols in the Indian election.

Interestingly, Naidu’s TDP lost its fight in Telangana with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which uses a car as its symbol. Symbols do have an impact, apparently.

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Topics:  Punjab   Uttar Pradesh   Goa 

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