MNM gets its ‘Battery Torch’ symbol for civic elections

“I am pleased to announce that the ‘Battery Torch’ symbol for the rural local body elections has been allotted to the Makkal Needhi Maiam which is committed to strengthening local bodies and ensuring people’s participation,” he wrote on Twitter.

MNM, which had boycotted the rural local body polls in 2019, faced a lot of criticism for the surprise decision after campaigning for strengthening of the local bodies and gram sabhas.

MNM vice president AG Mourya had petitioned the Tamil Nadu State Election Commissioner on September 15 requesting to allot the common symbol ‘Battery Torch’ to the candidates to be nominated by his party in the ensuing rural local body elections. He had noted that MNM is a registered, but unrecognised party in the state and allotted the common symbol of ‘Battery Torch’ in the Assembly polls in 2021 by the Election Commission.

In its order, the SEC directed the returning officers to allot the common symbol ‘Battery Torch’ to the candidates fielded by the MNM at the ensuing elections to the rural local bodies polls.