Fed up, you are adding to court’s burden: HC to Election Commission on symbol row

The Calcutta High Court criticized the Election Commission for assigning the 'envelope' symbol, previously used by the Indian Secular Front in the 2026 assembly election, to the Democratic Trinamool Congress for an upcoming bypoll, on Thursday. The court expressed frustration with the commission's actions, stating that they were creating trouble and burdening the court with legal proceedings initiated by the parties involved.

The judge questioned the commission's decision-making process, asking why they chose the 'envelope' symbol from among 183 available options for a different party. The High Court's counsel argued that voters might be confused by the symbol change, as the ISF had used 'envelope' in the 2026 assembly elections and was also contesting the bypolls.

The Election Commission defended its decision, stating that unrecognised parties do not have reserved symbols, and the party had received 'envelope' during the previous election as well. The court's decision will be reviewed in a hearing scheduled for the following day.