Kolkata, 19 September (H.S.) : Following the freezing of the traditional 'twin flowers' symbol, the Election Commission of India has reallocated election symbols to key political outfits, assigning new emblems to Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddiqui and Humayun Kabir. The 'envelope' symbol, previously held by the Indian Secular Front (ISF), had earlier been reassigned to Ritabrata Banerjee's Democratic Trinamool Congress. In the latest redistribution, Siddiqui's ISF has been allotted the 'almirah' symbol, while Humayun Kabir's Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) has been stripped of the 'flute' and granted the 'table'.

The sudden alteration of symbols comes at a crucial juncture, with high-voltage by-elections scheduled for October 6 in two key Assembly constituencies - Nandigram and Rejinagar. The timing poses a major tactical setback for Humayun Kabir, who floated his new outfit ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls and had prepared to contest on the 'flute' symbol, despite harboring private doubts over whether the poll panel would let him retain it. Those apprehensions proved true on Saturday when the commission reassigned the 'flute' to South Indian actor Thalapathy Vijay's party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), leaving Kabir with the 'table'.

Meanwhile, Naushad Siddiqui also conceded defeat in his legal and administrative battle to retain the 'envelope'. The ISF leadership had formally registered the symbol with the poll body in March, ahead of this year's legislative contests. When the commission allocated the 'envelope' to Banerjee's newly formed Democratic Trinamool Congress on Friday, Siddiqui expressed sharp indignation, convening an emergency press conference with documentation to challenge the decision.

However, the Election Commission dismissed the ISF's claims on Saturday, reaffirming that the 'envelope' symbol will remain exclusively with the Democratic Trinamool Congress, while formally directing the ISF to contest under the 'almirah' symbol.

With only a few days remaining before polling in Nandigram and Rejinagar, party cadres and campaign workers from both camps face an uphill task. The sudden transition - asking voters to discard the familiar 'flute' for the 'table', and abandon the 'envelope' in favor of the 'almirah' during door-to-door campaigning at the eleventh hour - has left ground-level workers deeply anxious about the electoral fallout.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh