Staff Correspondent:

Shapla’ and ‘Doel’ have been excluded from the new list

The Election Commission (EC) has proposed expanding its official list of election symbols from the current 69 to 115 by adding 46 new symbols.

The updated list has been sent to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for vetting and approval.

If approved, the total number of symbols available to political parties and independent candidates will rise to 115.

However, the widely recognized symbols “Shapla” (Water Lily) and “Doel” (Magpie Robin) have been excluded from the new list.

According to EC officials, a committee initially finalized 150 symbols for inclusion but the commission decided to reduce the number to 115 before forwarding the list to the ministry of law. The ministry may recommend cancelling or adding symbols before final approval.

The move comes amid a growing number of political parties in the country. The EC revealed that 147 new parties have applied for registration recently. To accommodate this increase and ensure sufficient symbol availability for future elections, the commission initiated this expansion.

Currently, there are 51 registered political parties with the EC. Out of the 115 symbols, 51 will be allocated to these registered parties, while the remaining symbols will be reserved for new parties and independent candidates.

The new list includes symbols such as Apple, Pineapple, Truck, Television, Rickshaw, Rising Sun, Rose, Watermelon, Bicycle, Pigeon, Sewing Machine, Lion, Motorcar, Hand (Palm), Umbrella, Peacock, Computer, Football, Mobile Phone, Elephant, Helicopter, and many others.

The EC’s proposal aims to streamline election preparations as the political landscape diversifies and more parties seek participation in upcoming polls.

The Commission’s update was announced by its relevant branch on Thursday.