Auto dealer in Nalasopara loses business because of election symbol

Banners at stall put up by local dealer taken down after election officials receive plaint alleging he is violating code of conduct by helping local BVA candidate whose symbol is an autorickshaw

Auto dealer in Nalasopara loses business because of election symbol

This election season keeps getting stranger. On Wednesday, in Nalasopara, the Palghar district election officials with the help of Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation removed a stall set up for selling autorickshaws for allegedly violating the election code of conduct. This was done because the stall happened to have the same colour and election symbol being used by a local Bahujan Vikhas Aghadi (BVA) leader. The owner of the stall has no ties with the candidate.

The symbol has been given to BVA candidate Baliram Jadhav. While his party has had a whistle as their election symbol for 30 years, they lost out on it this election as someone else claimed it first. Following that, Jadhav was given an autorickshaw as his symbol.

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It has been alleged that Vivek Patil's stall was helping promote local BVA candidate Baliram Jadhav (above), in whose rally the same yellow shade used by the auto stall was seen, along with the election symbol. Pics/Hanif Patel

Unintentionally, this ended up hurting a local business, Shriram Auto Dealers, which belongs to one Vivek Patil. Patil had set up a stall to increase sales since auto permits are finally being handed out in the district. Little did he know that the banner he'd put up against a yellow backdrop, which had two rickshaws on it, would end up shuttering his stall. A few days ago, the local election officials received a complaint regarding the banner, alleging that the dealership was favouring Jadhav by using yellow banners and the symbol, which were also seen at his rally. Acting on the complaint, election officials took down Patil's stall on Wednesday.

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Vivek Patil, owner of Shriram Auto Dealers

An unhappy Patil said, "This is my business. With autorickshaw permits being issued in the district, there is huge competition between dealers. To promote my dealership, I had put up this stall after taking the land on rent. What the election commission has done is unfair. Had spectacles, rings, shoes, shirt and trousers been the election symbols of the candidates, would the election commission impose restrictions on wearing them? I will take advice from my lawyer and take necessary action, if required."

Assistant returning officer of Nalasopara, Tanuja Vispute confirmed the incident, but refused to comment on whether the stall had violated the code of conduct. Ajiv Patil, BVA spokesperson said, "Our candidate is going to win this seat by a huge margin. The Opposition is frustrated and is sowing fear in the minds of people by indulging in such rubbish. If someone is contesting the elections with an autorickshaw symbol, would the election commission impose restrictions on the sale and running of autorickshaws? If someone has a bow and arrow as their symbol, would the commission remove bows and arrows from all the temple idols? This government is starting to see their defeat, which is why they are doing such rubbish acts."

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