Under the earlier rules, all three parties risked losing eligibility to retain or apply for the common symbols they have used in past campaigns.
The ECI, through the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) (Amendment) Order, 2026 issued on March 28, has now relaxed the criteria.
Key change in Para 10(B)(ii)
Previously, a Registered Unrecognised Political Party (RUPP) had to secure at least 1% of valid votes in both of the last two elections to retain a common symbol. The amended rule lowers this threshold – parties now qualify if they secure 1% in either of the two elections.
This effectively means that performance in just one election – Lok Sabha or Assembly – is sufficient to retain the symbol.
Sources said some parties had represented to the ECI that their vote share often dips in high-stakes Lok Sabha elections, leading to loss of symbols closely associated with their identity among voters.While recognised national parties like BJP and Congress have permanently reserved symbols, smaller parties depend on ‘free symbols’ allotted for specific polls. Paragraph 10(B) provides a concession to retain such symbols across elections, subject to eligibility criteria – a threshold now eased.
The move is notable as it comes amid the ECI’s ongoing clean-up drive, which has seen nearly 1,000 RUPPs delisted over the past year for ineligibility or misuse.
The amendment is expected to benefit several such parties, with AMMK among the first to gain relief.
Factor this: TVV Dhinakaran-led Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) secured a 2.4% vote share in the 2021 assembly elections but dropped to 0.9% in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which under the old rules could have cost it the right to retain its common symbol – the pressure cooker. However, under the revised rulebook, the NDA ally can now breathe easy and retain the symbol.
Other parties are also expected to benefit, provided they furnish the required documentation on party functioning to the ECI.
In Kerala, the corporate-backed Twenty20 party, also allied with the NDA, can probably gain under the amended rules. It secured a 7.9% vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, despite polling just 0.7% in the 2021 assembly polls.
Then there is the Left alliance partner Indian Secular Front (ISF) in poll-bound West Bengal. The ISF has been hovering around the eligibility threshold and is set to benefit. The party secured a 1.1% vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, compared to 0.8% in the 2021 assembly elections – now sufficient to retain a common symbol under the revised criteria.
