Election symbols: Candidates choose from mundane to the unusual ones

These symbols are for independent candidates and aspirants from registered political parties that are not recognised as national or State parties.

Fruits and vegetables, household items, kitchen utensils, computers, air-conditioners, refrigerators, televisions and CCTV cameras... These are some of the election symbols chosen by candidates in the 14 parliamentary constituencies that go to polls on April 26.

While pressure cooker, pot, glass tumbler, mixer, gas cylinder are the popular choices, torch, coconut farm, autorickshaw, diesel pump, bat, TV remote, dish antenna and baby walker are some of the unusual symbols. A basket containing fruits, a plate containing food, robot, chappals, triangle, flute, water tank, helmet, phone charger, road roller, doorbell, handcart and rubber stamp are the novel entries this time.

These symbols are for independent candidates and aspirants from registered political parties that are not recognised as national or State parties.

In all, 247 candidates, including 21 women, are in the fray for the April 26 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka. A total of 118 independents and 88 from registered unrecognised political parties are in the fray. As many as 12 candidates are from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and one from the CPI(M).

A senior official from the Election Commission said that the common symbols allotted to candidates of unrecognised political parties are not allotted to any other candidate. However, the symbol will be available for allotment as a free symbol to other independent candidates in the constituencies where these parties do not nominate candidates. 

Every election there are some candidates whose namesakes contest to confuse voters. This time, in Bengaluru Rural, two sets of candidates with similar names are in the fray. While cardiologist C N Manjunath is contesting on a BJP ticket, another C N Manjunatha from Bahujan Bharat Party is in the fray with Ganna Kisan as the party symbol. 

Likewise, two persons with names similar to Congress candidate D.K. Suresh are contesting in Bengaluru Rural. They are Suresh S. from Karunadu Party with batsman as his symbol and Suresh M.N. with gas cylinder as his symbol.