Telangana Assembly Polls: Congress sees red over ‘pink’ ballot papers

In the run-up to Telangana elections, the colour pink has caused quite a stir with the Election Commission deciding to continue the use of the colour for ballot papers on EVMs in the December 7 Assembly polls.

The Congress has raised a red flag over the use of pink ballot papers as the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) uses pink as the party’s official colour scheme for all its promotional material. KCR always wear a pink scarf around his neck during party functions.

Congress had sent its representatives to the Election Commission to not use the colour as they feel it may influence voters towards the TRS party. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief spokesperson Dasoju Sravan sarcastically said, “the Commission seems to have infected with some pink disease.”

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Sravan alleged that the EC represented by the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer issued orders for printing 90 lakh ballot papers in ‘pink’ colour.

“We openly raised red flag opposing the introduction of pink ballot papers that it would give undue electoral advantage to TRS.

However, the EC in Telangana has taken no action to stop those violations rather the aforesaid illegal decision is reinforced ignoring the open plea made by us,” he said.

Reacting to the development Chief Electoral officer Rajat Kumar on Monday said the EC has decided to hold the elections with pink-coloured ballot papers pasted on EVMs but the voter slips would be in white colour, according to the provisions of the Representation of People’s Act.

“The Representation of the People Act has to be amended for changing the colour of the ballot paper,” he noted.

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TRS MP Vinod Kumar said pink represents peace and love and in 2001 when separate Telangana movement was started by KCR, they decided to use it for the same reason.

“Those who object using pink ballot papers should go and ask former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Because during his time in 1952 , it was decided that white would be used for Parliament and pink for Assembly ballot papers,” Vinod Kumar told PTI. TRS' election symbol is a car which is usually drawn on a pink-coloured rectangular party flag.