Following the Election Commission granting a plea by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Janata Dal United (JDU) will not be able to use its ‘arrow’ poll symbol in the upcoming elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

The development comes after similarity with the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol used by JMM and Shiv Sena in the two States.

“JMM has been allotted the symbol ‘Bow and Arrow’ in 1985 and since then the Party has contested on the same symbol in several states apart from Jharkhand where the symbol is reserved for the party,” JMM said in its application. “The party was established in 1977. After Jharkhand got separated in 2000 upon the Bihar Reorganization Act, 2000, the party got recognized in the State of Jharkhand,” the EC said in its application.

The EC had earlier given concession to the Janata Dal (United) under a rule to contest polls in the two States using its symbol. However, with the JMM now moving to poll panel saying similarity in symbols could confuse voters, the Supreme Court has now withdrawn the concession.

“Having considered all aspects of the matter, the Commission has directed that the JDU will not be granted concession under Paragraph 10 of the Symbols Order to use their reserved symbol ‘arrow’ for contesting elections in the states of Jharkhand and Maharashtra henceforth,” the poll panel order issued on August 16 said.

The ruling is based on the provisions of Paragraph ten of the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order, 1968, under which candidates set up by a recognised party in the state have the right for exclusive allotment of the reserved symbol of the party.

In a similar move, the Election Commission had banned the symbols of JMM and Shiv Sena in Bihar in view of their similarity with the symbol of JDU, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, in March.

The JDU shares that it saw this coming. Senior party leader RCP Singh said this order was expected as during the Lok Sabha election the JMM and Shiv Sena were stopped from using their symbols in Bihar on the JDU’s request.