Opposition claims 'BJP' written under Lotus symbol on ballot papers, EC says 'incorrect in deduction'

Opposition parties on Saturday complained to the Election Commission against the BJP's name appearing under its electoral symbol on ballot papers, and asked it to take necessary action for correcting the anomaly. A delegation of opposition leaders met Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora in this regard, and demanded that the BJP's name should either be removed from the ballot papers or the names of other parties be added.

However, a senior Election Commission official said that the opposition parties were incorrect in their deduction.

"In mid-2013, the BJP approached the commission saying that the outline of their symbol is very light and should be bolder. Based on their request, the outline of lotus was made bolder, and that included the water below the lotus symbol. These water lines look like F and P but not BJP," he said, adding that the symbol has been in use since 2014.

"On EVMs, the letters BJP are visible under the party's symbol. No party can use the party's name and its symbol together," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

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On Friday, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool had alleged that the symbol of BJP ''lotus'' on the ballot paper has broken lines appearing below its stem, smudged in such a manner that it can be easily read as "BJP".

According to news agency PTI, the Election Commission also stated in a letter to the West Bengal chief electoral officer that there was nothing to suggest that the markings under the symbol reflect the name of any party.

Sources in the agency also said that the ballot papers will not be changed. 

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(With inputs from PTI and ANI)