[Letter to Girish K Munshi]

Summary

This two-page official letter, dated 8 January 1975, is addressed to Girish Munshi and concerns the merger of the Swatantra Party, Bharatiya Kranti Dal, and Utkal Congress into a new party named the Bharatiya Lok Dal. K. Ganesan, Under Secretary (Legal) in the Secretariat of the Election Commission of India, reports that the Commission has already recognised the Bharatiya Lok Dal as a National Party under the Elections Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

The letter also records the Commission’s decision regarding party symbols. The symbols “STAR,” “Haldhar” and “Water wheel and plough,” previously reserved for the three merging parties, are to be frozen. To prevent confusion among voters, the Commission further directs that no political organisation seeking registration under the symbols order should use the same or a similar name to the Swatantra Party, Bharatiya Kranti Dal, or Utkal Congress.

Key points

• The letter is dated 8 January 1975 and bears reference number 56/25/74/128.
• It responds to a telegram from 2 January 1975 and letters dated 31 December 1974 and 2 January 1975.
• The Swatantra Party, Bharatiya Kranti Dal, and Utkal Congress are described as having merged to form the Bharatiya Lok Dal.
• The Election Commission recognised the Bharatiya Lok Dal as a National Party under the Elections Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
• The symbols “STAR,” “Haldhar” and “Water wheel and plough” were frozen after having been reserved for the merging parties.
• The Commission sought to prevent voter confusion by restricting registration of parties with the same or similar names.