Maharashtra Elections 2024: ECI Allocates 'Whistle' Symbol To Hitendra Thakur-Led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi Following JD(U) Withdrawal

Mumbai: The Election Commission of India informed the Bombay High Court on Monday that it would allot ‘whistle’ symbol to Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls following requisite guidelines.

In January this year, ECI had allotted the ‘whistle’ symbol to the Janata Dal (United). A BVA candidate contested the 2024 general polls on ‘whistle’ symbol from Palghar Lok Sabha seat as the JD(U) did not have a candidate.

The ECI made the statement before a bench of Justices Somasekhar Sundaresan and Arif Doctor which was hearing a petition by the BVA for allotting the ‘whistle’ symbol to the party.

During the hearing, the ECI submitted a letter received from the JD(U) informing the poll body about its decision to not contest the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections. Thus, the party was surrendering the ‘whistle’ symbol allotted to it by virtue of an order dated January 30, 2024, the JD(U) said in the letter.

ECI’s advocate Akshay Shinde told the court that since the BVA had applied for the ‘whistle’ symbol, the same would be allotted to the party “by following the procedure laid down in the requisite rules/guidelines”.

The bench then disposed of BVA’s petition. The HC has clarified why “all rights and contentions of the parties in respect of any issues on law or otherwise are kept expressly open”.

BVA lost the ‘whistle’ symbol in April 2019 Lok Sabha elections to the newly formed Bahujan Maha Party. It then used an ‘auto rickshaw’ symbol. They regained the 'whistle' for the 2019 assembly polls, winning Vasai, Nalasopara, and Boisar seats.