If inmates Tihar Jail get together, it may be a no-holds-barred party
Politics has been known to make strange bedfellows, but never has Tihar Jail boasted a 'guest' roster
By ET Bureau | Updated:
Politics has been known to make strange bedfellows, but never has Tihar Jail boasted a ‘guest’ roster that rivals the list of a party at one of the Capital’s five star hotels during peak season, with its heady mix of the rich, brash and powerful.
So Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah can be forgiven for yet another irreverent tweet, as he took the same line that a thousand wags must have already contemplated: “If Tihar Jail inmates set up their own political party, I wonder what the symbol would be...”
Even if the disparate political players currently cooling their heels behind bars do decide they can bury their differences, make common cause and float their own political formation (recognised or otherwise), symbols reserved for the national parties will naturally be out of bounds.
A scrutiny of the list of 75 ‘ free symbols’ available with the Election Commission would be the first recourse. Some of the objects listed there could be quite appropriate.
The axe would send out a message to their detractors about hatchet jobs, while a bungalow, brief case, envelope or even toffee would do nicely as a promise for votes rendered. A ladies handbag could convey the same offer, barring a copyright veto from a certain chief minister and rival party boss, of course.
Even a frying pan would be a cooler alternative to the fire they are currently in, while a diesel pump or gas cylinder would be ideal to fuel popular anger over price rise. But they may want to avoid symbols such as the television and the lock & key, for their uncomfortable allusions.
Of course, they could always invent their own handy symbol like the Indian National Congress has. Opinion may be divided, though, whether they would prefer a mobile phone — for instant connect — or maybe a bee.
So Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah can be forgiven for yet another irreverent tweet, as he took the same line that a thousand wags must have already contemplated: “If Tihar Jail inmates set up their own political party, I wonder what the symbol would be...”
Even if the disparate political players currently cooling their heels behind bars do decide they can bury their differences, make common cause and float their own political formation (recognised or otherwise), symbols reserved for the national parties will naturally be out of bounds.
A scrutiny of the list of 75 ‘ free symbols’ available with the Election Commission would be the first recourse. Some of the objects listed there could be quite appropriate.
The axe would send out a message to their detractors about hatchet jobs, while a bungalow, brief case, envelope or even toffee would do nicely as a promise for votes rendered. A ladies handbag could convey the same offer, barring a copyright veto from a certain chief minister and rival party boss, of course.
Even a frying pan would be a cooler alternative to the fire they are currently in, while a diesel pump or gas cylinder would be ideal to fuel popular anger over price rise. But they may want to avoid symbols such as the television and the lock & key, for their uncomfortable allusions.
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Of course, they could always invent their own handy symbol like the Indian National Congress has. Opinion may be divided, though, whether they would prefer a mobile phone — for instant connect — or maybe a bee.
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