EC offered no explanation for excluding ‘Shapla’ from list of poll symbols, says NCPLeaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) are refusing to budge from their demand for allocation of the “Shapla” or water lily as electoral symbol during a meeting with the Election Commission. At the Thursday meeting, the party also sought an explanation from the commission as to why the symbol could not be granted. After the discussion, the party’s Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said the NCP would not accept any symbol other than Shapla. Rejecting the EC’s request, the party urged the commission to amend the rules to include Shapla in the list of electoral symbols. In the letter, Convenor Nahid Islam expressed hope that one of three versions -- Shapla, White Shapla, or Red Shapla -- would be allocated to the party.
