New Delhi: The Election Commission, on Monday, issued a notification stating that the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, has been amended and that it would come into force with “immediate effect”. The order itself deals with the allocation of symbols for parties, reservation of symbols and resolving intra-party disputes. It also lays down the procedure for how parties file candidates in elections. This amendment, coming ahead of the expected announcement of the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, now makes the aforementioned order applicable to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Previously, when Jammu and Kashmir was a state, it had its own version of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. 

As such, the EC order on election symbols used to previously state that it was applicable across India in relation to elections in all parliamentary and assembly constituencies other than assembly constituencies in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Accorded to the amended version, the order now extends to the whole of India and applies in relation to elections in all parliamentary and assembly constituencies.

The earlier order said "State” includes the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Pondicherry. The amended order says that "'State' includes the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the Union Territory of Puducherry and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir".

Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir are the only UTs with a provision of an assembly.

With inputs from PTI.