COIMBATORE: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has relaxed its rules on granting recognition and allotment of common symbols to political parties, which fail to win a seat in polls.In future, registered parties can get the ECI’s recognition even if it fails to win a single seat in a general election to the Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly provided it secures a minimum of eight per cent of the total valid votes polled in a State.Until now, the ECI had a policy of granting recognition only to political parties which secured a minimum of six per cent of the total valid votes polled in a State in addition to winning at least two seats in that Assembly.Alternatively, the parties, which won at least three per cent of the total number of seats or three seats in the Legislative Assembly, whichever was higher, were granted recognition.In so far as Parliamentary polls were concerned, the requirement for obtaining recognition was to garner six per cent of the valid votes and win one Lok Sabha seat in the State concerned. Alternatively, the party was required to win at least one Parliamentary seat for every 25 seats or any fraction thereof allotted to the State concerned. The Commission has liberalised the criteria now by adding the new clause, ECI Director Yashvir Singh said on Monday. Therefore, parties which fulfil any of the above criteria will be granted recognition henceforth.In the Tamil Nadu context, had this relaxed rule been in vogue during 2006, the DMDK founded by actor Vijayakanth would have won the recognition five years ago itself. In the Assembly elections that year, the party had polled over 8 per cent votes but won a lone seat (Vijayakanth in Vridhachalam constituency) and therefore was denied recognition. In the local body polls that year, the DMDK was denied the right to use its chosen ‘Murasu’ (Nagara) symbol and instead in many places its candidates used the ‘Deepam’ (lighted lamp), which was one of the Free Symbols.
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