EC suspends ‘Boat’, adds ‘No’ vote for lone candidate

The Election Commission (EC) has amended the Election Conduct Rules, 2008, suspending the ‘Boat’ symbol and introducing a ‘No’ vote option for constituencies where there is only one candidate in the parliamentary election. The EC issued the gazette notification on Wednesday.

Under the amended Rule 9(1), a contesting candidate can be allocated any available symbol from the prescribed list, except those marked as suspended. The ‘Boat’ symbol has been explicitly marked as ‘suspended’ in the revised list.

The list contains 120 election symbols, including pineapple, apple, mango, eagle, camel, cow, rose, bell, kite, truck, tractor, book, bicycle, tiger, rocket, rickshaw, plough, lotus bud, rising sun, dove, pen, scissors, horse, spectacles, umbrella and jug.

Other symbols include ship, torch, table, telephone, television, lock, weighing scales, sheaf of paddy, anchor, butterfly, football, bucket, electric fan, light bulb, ladder, peacock, fish, motorcar, motorcycle, mobile phone, cock, lion, sunflower, sewing machine, deer, duck, hand, elephant, hammer, helicopter and handshake.

The amended rules also introduce the ‘No’ symbol, which will be used in a constituency where only one candidate is contesting, giving voters an option to reject the sole candidate.

AFFIDAVIT REQUIREMENTS EASED
The amendments also change some requirements concerning candidates’ affidavits.

Candidates will no longer be required to provide income tax information of their spouses, children and dependants. Details of their income tax returns will now be optional, whereas they were previously mandatory.

A note under Annexure-1, item 3(b), has also been amended, making the submission of certain documents optional.

The amended rules define an ‘accused’ as a person against whom a court has framed a charge.

They also relax a requirement concerning candidates accused of criminal offences. Candidates released on bail will no longer have to submit a certified copy of the bail order under the previous provision.

For candidates in prison, the required documents, including affidavits, can be certified through prison authorities in accordance with the Representation of the People Order.

ELECTION EXPENSE ACCOUNT CHANGED
The rules governing bank accounts for election expenses have also been amended as part of changes to the nomination and electoral process.

The amendment changes Paragraph 4 of the ‘Declaration by the Nominated Candidate’ section in Part III of Form-1 under Schedule-1.

Under the revised provision, the requirement to provide the ‘bank account number for meeting election expenses’ has been expanded to include the account number of the candidate or the election agent appointed by the candidate.

The amended provisions will apply to the nomination and electoral process for elections to the Jatiya Sangsad.