Delhi High Court Orders ECI to Grant Common Symbol to Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh for Bihar Polls

The Delhi High Court has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allot a common election symbol to the Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh (ABJS) for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections scheduled next month.

Justice Mini Pushkarna, while passing the order, asked the party to file an application before the ECI under the provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order. The Court further stated that once the party fulfils this requirement, the ECI must allot the symbol without delay.

The Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh, which was registered in 1989, is an unrecognised political party claiming roots in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh — the predecessor of today’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The party had approached the High Court challenging the ECI’s communication dated September 1, through which its request for an election symbol was turned down. In its plea, the party argued that it has a constitutional and legal right to contest elections and that denying it a symbol would prevent it from effectively participating in the Bihar polls.

The petition also claimed that the ECI’s reasons for rejecting the request were vague and lacked justification. The party further clarified that there was no internal dispute within its organisation, as was earlier suggested by the Commission.

This is the second time ABJS has approached the Delhi High Court in the matter. Earlier, the Court had directed the ECI to promptly decide on the party’s representation dated August 25. Following this, the ECI rejected the application on September 1, prompting the party to seek judicial intervention again.