The Election Commission has barred Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) from using its arrow symbol in elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra because of its similarity with the symbols of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Shiv Sena, PTI reported on Monday.

The commission had earlier allowed the party to use the symbol in elections in the two states. It reversed its decision after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha filed an application in June saying that similar symbols could confuse voters.

“Having considered all aspects of the matter, the commission has directed that the JD(U) will not be granted concession under Paragraph 10 of the Symbols Order to use their reserved symbol ‘arrow’ for contesting elections in the states of Jharkhand and Maharashtra henceforth,” read the poll body’s order dated August 16.

On March 8, the commission had ordered that the Morcha and the Shiv Sena cannot use their poll symbols in Bihar. The observations it had made then are still applicable, and the ban has not been revoked.

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