However, the allotment of common symbol would be only a one-time facility that a particular party would be able to avail either in Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly, as the party may choose.
Till now, candidates put up by registered unrecognised political parties were allotted election symbols by the Returning Officers of the constituencies concerned after the last date for withdrawal of candidature as per the choice of symbol given by the candidates from the list of free symbols.
To avail the facility of using a common symbol, the newly formed registered unrecognised parties will have to contest the General Elections from at least 10 per cent of the constituencies in a state.
This will subject to minimum of five Assembly constituencies in a state having less than 50 Assembly constituencies and two parliamentary constituencies in a state having less than 20 parliamentary constituencies.
For a political party which was a recognised party earlier and which is not entitled now to the facility of allotment of any particular symbol to its candidates, will also be granted a one time facility of being allotted its earlier reserved symbol at a general election either to the Lok Sabha or to legislative assembly of a state.
The Commission has also liberalised the criteria for recognition of parties as state parties.
Under the liberalised criteria, one more clause has been added to provide that even if a party fails to win any seat in a State in the General Elections to the Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly of the State, the party will still be eligible for recognition as State Party if it secures 8 per cent or more of the total valid votes polled in the State.