**Executive Summary**
The Election Commission of India issued the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) (Amendment) Order, 2026, on March 28, 2026. This order amends the criteria for political parties to receive symbol concessions after having utilized them on two previous occasions. The amendment introduces a minimum vote share requirement and became effective immediately upon its publication.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Administrative Provisions**
* **Title and Commencement:** The order is officially titled the "Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) (Amendment) Order, 2026" and came into force on March 28, 2026.
* **Legal Authority:** The order is issued under Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.
**Revised Eligibility for Symbol Concessions**
* **Amendment to Paragraph 10(B):** The document substitutes the existing "Paragraph Explanation (ii) to Paragraph 10(B)" of the 1968 Order.
* **Extended Eligibility:** A political party that has already availed of symbol concessions on two occasions may still be eligible for concessions in subsequent general elections.
* **Performance Threshold:** To qualify for continued concessions, the party's contesting candidates must have polled at least one percent of the total valid votes in the State in at least one of the two previous occasions when the concession was used.
**Impact Analysis**
**Political Parties**
**Impact**
Parties that have utilized symbol concessions twice are now subject to a performance-based restriction. They no longer have an automatic right to concessions unless they meet the specific 1% vote share threshold in a relevant previous election.
**Action Required**
Parties must review their historical electoral performance in specific States to determine if they meet the 1% vote share requirement before applying for concessions in future general elections.
**Election Commission of India (ECI)**
**Impact**
The ECI is mandated to implement these updated criteria during the symbol allotment process for general elections.
**Action Required**
The Commission must verify the voting records of parties applying for concessions to ensure they have met the minimum one percent vote threshold during their previous periods of concession.
Key Entities Referenced
Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968: The primary policy document governing the allocation of election symbols; this notification amends its Paragraph 10(B) to redefine eligibility for concessions in subsequent general elections.
Election Commission of India: The primary regulatory authority responsible for the superintendence of elections and the issuing body of this amendment notification.
Representation of the People Act, 1951: The central legislative framework for Indian elections; Section 29A is cited as the statutory basis for the Commission's authority in this order.
Article 324 of the Constitution of India: The constitutional provision that empowers the Election Commission of India with the superintendence, direction, and control of the election process.
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-डी.एलxx.x-GअID.-H2x8xx0 32026-271390
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असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (iii)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (iii)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 14] िई दिल्ली, िजिर्ार, माच ा28, 2026/चत्रै 7, 1948
No. 14] NEW DELHI, SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2026/CHAITRA 7, 1948
भारत जिर्ाचा ि आयोग
अजधसचू िा
िई दिल्ली, 28 माच,ा 2026
आ.अ. 14(अ).— लोक प्रजतजिजधत्र् अजधजियम, 1951 की धारा 29क, साधारण खंड अजधजियम, 1897 की धारा
21, जिर्ााचिों का संचालि जियम, 1961 के जियम 5 एर् ं 10 के साथ पठित, भारत के संजर्धाि के अिुच्छेि 324 द्वारा
प्रित्त िजियों तथा इस संबंध म ेंआयोग को समथाकारी बिाि ेर्ाली अन्य सभी िजियों का प्रयोग करते हुए, भारत जिर्ााचि
आयोग एतद्द्वारा जिर्ााचि प्रतीक (आरक्षण और आबंटि) आििे , 1968 को आग े और संिोजधत करि े के जलए जिम्नजलजखत
आिेि िारी करता ह,ै िामत:-
1. संजक्षप्त िाम तथा प्रारंभण
i. इस आिेि को जिर्ााचि प्रतीक (आरक्षण और आबंटि) (संिोधि) आिेि, 2026 कहा िाएगा।
ii. यह तत्काल प्रभार् से प्रर्ृत्त होगा।
2. पैराग्राफ 10(ख) की व्याख्या के अिच्ु छेि (ii) का संिोधि
जिर्ााचि प्रतीक (आरक्षण और आबंटि) आििे , 1968 के मौिूिा पैराग्राफ 10(ख) की व्याख्या के
अिुच्छेि (ii) को जिम्नजलजखत के द्वारा प्रजतस्ट्थाजपत दकया िाएगा : -
तथाजप, कोई िल, जिसिे िो अर्सरों पर इस छूट का लाभ उिाया ह,ै दकसी पश्चातर्ती साधारण जिर्ााचि
में यह छूट प्राप्त करिे का पात्र होगा, बिते दक जपछले िोिों अर्सरों में से दकसी भी एक अर्सर पर, िब िल
िे इस छूट का लाभ उिाया था, तब उस राज्य म ें हुए साधारण जिर्ााचि म ें िल द्वारा खड े दकए गए सभी
जिर्ााचि लडिे र्ाले अभ्यर्थायों को पड ेमत राज्य म ेंडाले गए कुल र्ैध मतों के एक प्रजतित स ेकम ि रह ेहों।
[फा. सं. 56/31/2026/पीपीएस-II]
आिेि से,
अश्विी कुमार मोहल, सजचर्
2276 GI/2026 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(iii)]
ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 28th March, 2026
O.N. 14(E).—In exercise of the powers conferred by Article 324 of the Constitution of India read with section
29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, section 21 of the General Clauses Act, 1897, Rules 5 and 10 of the
Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, and all other powers enabling the Commission in this behalf, the Election
Commission of India hereby makes the following Order to further amend the Election Symbols (Reservation and
Allotment) Order, 1968, namely: -
1. Short Title and Commencement
i. This Order shall be called the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) (Amendment)
Order, 2026.
ii. It shall come into force with immediate effect.
2. Amendment of Paragraph Explanation (ii) to Paragraph 10(B)
The existing Paragraph Explanation (ii) to Paragraph 10(B) of the Election Symbols (Reservation and
Allotment) Order, 1968 shall be substituted as follows: -
“A party that has availed of this concession on two occasions shall, however, be eligible for the concession in
any subsequent general election subject to the condition that at least on any one of the previous two occasions
when the party availed of the facility, the votes polled by all the contesting candidates set up by the party at the
general election in the State concerned was not less than one percent of the total valid votes polled in that
State.”
[F. No. 56/31/2026/PPS-II]
By Order,
ASHWANI KUMAR MOHAL, Secy.
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.