32 minutes agoAuthor: Swadhin Patel
Ahead of the Bengal bypolls, a dispute has emerged between two Trinamool Congress factions over the party’s name and election symbol.
The Election Commission has allotted the football player symbol to the Mamata Banerjee-led faction, while the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction will contest with the envelope symbol.
The controversy highlights why election symbols are more than images in Indian politics. They are closely tied to a party’s identity, history and connection with voters.
History of election symbols in India
The story of election symbols begins with the practical challenges of India’s first general elections in 1951–52.
Literacy stood at roughly 18%. Millions of voters could not read the names of candidates or parties printed on ballot papers. The Election Commission of India (ECI), under Sukumar Sen, decided that simple, easily recognisable pictorial symbols were essential for free and fair voting.
October, 1951, Mr Sukumar Sen, Chief Election Commissioner and Mr PS Subramaniam, Secretary to the Election Commission examining some samples of ballot boxes specially designed for use in India’s colossal General Election. (PIB)
Early guidelines were strict. Symbols had to be familiar everyday objects and could not carry strong religious or sentimental associations. Temples, national flags and sacred animals in their pure form were not allowed.
The first list included two bullocks with yoke, allotted to the Congress, along with a pair of scales, a hut, a tree, a lamp, and ears of corn and sickle. These images were drawn by ECI staff, most notably draughtsman MS Sethi, who sketched many of the classic free symbols still in use.
1952 : Voter looking for the party symbol of his or her candidate at polling booth (Photo Division)
The system was formalised by the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. It created two categories:
- Reserved symbols: Exclusively allotted to recognised national and state parties.
- Free symbols: Available to unrecognised parties and independent candidates.
Symbols as political communication
Symbols are among the most powerful forms of visual language in Indian politics. They compress complex ideologies, histories and promises into a single, instantly recognisable image.
Mass communication across barriers
In a country with dozens of languages and varying literacy levels, a symbol can travel farther and faster than a slogan. A villager in rural Bengal or a migrant worker in Mumbai can identify the Lotus, Hand or Broom without reading a single word.
Campaign materials such as flags, badges, wall paintings, T-shirts, social-media graphics and news visuals repeat the same image thousands of times, creating strong brand recall.
Campaign strategy
Parties build entire visual ecosystems around their symbols. Rallies become seas of one colour and one emblem, while leaders hold up symbol cut-outs. Songs and jingles repeatedly name them.
In the age of television and social media, a symbol can become a meme, profile picture or digital watermark. Even when leadership changes or scandals hit, the symbol can retain residual goodwill among voters.
Supporters hold cut-outs of Lotus, the symbol of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during an election campaign rally.
A supporter waves a flag of Congress party at rally
Simplifying choice on polling day
On the EVM screen, the symbol is often the first thing a voter notices. Dummy candidates with similar names are common, making a distinct symbol an important visual cue, especially for first-time voters, elderly citizens and those with limited formal education.
Why election symbols remain critically important
1. Democratic inclusion
Election symbols make voting more accessible by helping voters identify parties and candidates without relying entirely on written names.
In the 1951-52 elections, when literacy was below 20%, symbols such as the Congress’s two bullocks and Jana Sangh’s oil lamp helped first-time voters identify their choices.
2. Brand equity and recognition
A familiar symbol builds political recognition over decades and can become inseparable from a party’s identity.
The Congress Hand, BJP Lotus and TMC’s Flowers and Grass have remained strongly associated with their parties across multiple elections and leadership changes.
3. Power during party splits
When a party breaks into factions, control over the original symbol can determine which group retains the established political identity.
After the 2022 Shiv Sena split, the ECI allotted the Bow and Arrow to the Eknath Shinde faction, while the Uddhav Thackeray faction received the Flaming Torch.
4. Strategic communication
A strong symbol works as instant visual branding across EVMs, posters, rallies and news coverage.
The AAP’s Broom became closely associated with its anti-corruption campaign, while the Samajwadi Party’s Bicycle became a familiar political image in Uttar Pradesh.
5. Continuity amid change
Symbols provide voters with a link to a party’s past even when its leaders, alliances or political messaging change.
The BJP Lotus and Congress Hand continue to be recognised by voters across generations.
The CPI(M)’s Hammer, Sickle and Star has remained constant for decades despite changes in leadership and electoral fortunes in Kerala and West Bengal. Even after major setbacks, the symbol acts as a bridge to past supporters.
CPI(M) Flags during 2009 Lok Sabha election in West Bengal.
6. Legal and administrative importance
The ECI treats symbols as a regulated part of the electoral process and can freeze them during factional disputes.
The ECI has taken such action in disputes involving AIADMK, Shiv Sena and NCP, requiring rival factions to use different symbols.
