Overview
- A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A Ankhad dismissed the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s petition seeking exclusive use of the gas cylinder symbol for upcoming local body elections.
- The court accepted the State Election Commission’s position that Election Commission of India allotments do not bind the SEC for local polls.
- Judges flagged procedural defects, noting the party filed an election petition instead of a writ and had not approached competent local authorities for symbol reservation.
- Under state rules, District Collectors handle Zilla Parishads, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Commissioners handle Municipal Corporations, and a 5% prior-seat threshold governs temporary reservation of free symbols.
- The symbol remains a free emblem to be allotted during the process by returning officers as per the SEC’s October 16 communication, leaving VBA to seek allocations locally ahead of December–January polling.