Mumbai, Nov. 14 -- The Election Commission has approved the removal of the "Pipani" (flute-like instrument) symbol from the list of free election symbols, giving a major relief to the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) ahead of the upcoming local body elections. The party had claimed that the similarity between its official 'Tutari' (bugler) symbol and 'Pipani' had adversely affected its performance in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
While the dispute over the official name and symbol of the NCP and Shiv Sena factions continues in the Supreme Court, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP argued that the 'Pipani' symbol resembled its 'Tutari' symbol, which confused voters and diverted votes to independent candidates.
The...