Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968
Paragraph 15
The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 is a quasi-legislative instrument issued by the ECI under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, governing recognition of political parties and reservation/allotment of symbols. Paragraph 15 empowers the Commission to resolve disputes between rival sections or groups of a recognised political party, each claiming to be that very party.
- Under Paragraph 15, when satisfied that rival groups exist within a recognised party, the ECI may — after hearing all sides — decide that one group, or none of the groups, is that recognised party; the decision binds all rival factions
- If the dispute is inconclusive on the available facts, the Commission can freeze the party's name and symbol altogether and direct all factions to register under new names with new symbols, as an interim measure pending final resolution
- Paragraph 15 applies specifically to recognised national and state parties; disputes in unrecognised/registered parties are handled differently, generally by asking the group to register afresh
- The freeze-and-reallot approach is an interim safeguard, not a final determination of which faction is the "real" party
● Tracked since April 01, 2026 · last seen September 18, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief