Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968
ECI's Quasi-Legislative Power
The Election Commission of India derives its power to regulate election symbols from Article 324 of the Constitution, which vests superintendence, direction, and control of elections in the ECI. Under this authority, the ECI issued the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 — a subordinate legislation that governs the reservation of symbols for recognised parties and the allotment of free symbols to unrecognised parties. This Order is not an Act of Parliament; it is a quasi-legislative instrument issued by the ECI under its Article 324 powers. The Supreme Court has consistently upheld the ECI's authority to issue and amend this Order. The 1968 Order distinguishes between three categories of parties: (1) Recognised National Parties (reserved symbol across India); (2) Recognised State Parties (reserved symbol in that state); and (3) Registered Unrecognised Parties (allotted a free common symbol from the ECI's free symbols pool, subject to eligibility).
- Constitutional basis: Article 324 — ECI has superintendence, direction, and control of elections
- Election Symbols Order, 1968: The regulatory instrument for symbol reservation and allotment
- Three categories: National Party (6% vote nationally or 2% Lok Sabha seats), State Party (6-8% in state), Registered Unrecognised Party
- Recognised parties: Reserved symbol — no other party can use it
- Registered Unrecognised Parties (RUPPs): Entitled to common symbol from ECI's free symbols pool under Rule 10B
- ECI can amend the 1968 Order through its quasi-legislative power; does not require Parliamentary approval
● Tracked since April 01, 2026 · last seen September 11, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes