Registered unrecognised parties and independent candidates are required to choose symbols out of a list of free/unreserved symbols at the time of elections. Parties get preference over independent candidates in the allotment of free symbols .
In order to provide a fair chance to new political parties in terms of the symbol, a two-time concession is provided to all the registered political parties. As per para 10B of the ‘The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968’, a new registered political party may be allotted a common symbol in the case of a general election to a state assembly if it satisfies a few conditions.