GADAG: Have you got a ‘gramophone’? What about a ‘latch’? These are some of the election symbols which the candidates contesting the Gram Panchayat elections in Gadag district are not happy about. What’s in a poll symbol, one might say. Ask these candidates. They will tell you that a gramophone in the local slang means one who makes empty promises. And a latch means doors shut on development works! There are more -- a hat symbol means cheating, basket means greedy and chilli means one who is rude. Naturally, the candidates are worried over the election symbols allotted to them by the Election Commission.
They believe that some symbols may affect their campaign and also poll strategies. Deputy Commissioner Sundaresh Babu N said that the symbols were allotted to candidates based on Rule 21 of the Karnataka Panchayat Raj (conduct of elections), 1993, and they have to accept them. The candidates seem to be more concerned about the symbols than the campaigning.
And they have reason to be concerned. Veeresh Pattar, a villager from Shirol of Ron taluk, said, “In urban areas, the people will not give much importance to symbols. But in villages, people wait to see the symbol first and then they make fun of the candidate who is unfortunate to get a ‘negative’ symbol, during campaigning.
If a contestant loses, people point to the symbol and have a ‘punny’ free-for-all.” “If a contestant gets ‘helmet’ as his symbol and he loses, people mock and say the helmet failed to save the contestant’s head. If anyone gets grapes and loses, people say ‘sour grapes’. So to avoid all these jibes, contestants want non-controversial and ‘safe’ symbols,” Pattar said.
Candidates can’t get symbols they want: Official
Not all symbols come with negative connotations. For instance, a ‘cycle’ means pedal to success and a ‘torch’ dispels darkness. Even headphones have a positive meaning ... someone who listens to problems. But it looks like ‘headphones’ may not help the candidates! An election official said, “We have given a list of symbols and contestants are given a choice. But some contestants are demanding for alternative symbols. We cannot allot what they want. They have to follow rules. This time, many villagers told us that some symbols gave a different meaning. But we cannot help them.