In a recent development, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) has not been allotted the pot symbol as a common symbol, a request they had fervently pursued. The decision, detailed in an order document from the Secretariat of the Election Commission of India, cites several key reasons for the denial.
Firstly, the Commission highlighted that the VCK’s application was incomplete as the party had failed to furnish a crucial component: the list of Parliamentary constituencies where it intended to field its candidates. Additionally, at the time of application, there were no authorized office bearers listed for the party, according to the Commission’s records.
Moreover, the VCK had not provided essential financial documents, including contribution statements, annual audit reports for the last three financial years, and election expenditure statements for the last two elections in which the party contested.
The Commission also noted that the VCK had availed of concessions on two previous occasions. However, to be eligible for further concessions, the party must fulfill certain criteria, including securing at least 1% of the total valid votes polled in the state during the previous election. Unfortunately for the VCK, they did not meet this requirement in the elections they contested.
Previously, during simultaneous general elections to the legislative assemblies of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the party had been allotted the ring symbol as its common emblem. Similarly, in the 2019 general elections, the VCK was allocated the pot and stool symbols in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
However, due to the party’s failure to meet the minimum vote threshold of 1% in the states where they contested, the Commission rejected their request for the allocation of a common symbol for the upcoming general elections in 2024 in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala.
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