EC grants registration to Humayun Kabir's Aam Janata Unnayan Party

Kolkata, Mar 5 (PTI) The Election Commission has granted registration to West Bengal's Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir's political outfit, Aam Janata Unnayan Party, marking a key step towards its formal recognition as a party, a senior official said on Thursday.

The party will now have to publish advertisements in newspapers announcing the formation of the new political organisation, he said.

If no objections are raised within the stipulated period, the EC will grant it full recognition as a political party, after which the party can apply for an election symbol.

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal had earlier recommended the registration of Kabir's party to the poll panel.

Sources in the CEO's office had indicated that all procedural requirements for registration had been completed.

"The party has fulfilled all the necessary conditions required for recognition as a political party, and a recommendation for its registration was sent to the Election Commission," the source at the poll body said.

Although officials had suggested that the process could take up to 15 days if all formalities were in order, the commission approved the registration earlier than expected.

Notably, Kabir had announced the name of his new political party on December 22 last year and also unveiled its manifesto.

Kabir had contested the 2016 Assembly election as an Independent candidate with the 'table' symbol and has expressed his preference for the same symbol for his new party.

However, whether the party will get that symbol or be allotted another will be decided by the Election Commission.

Incidentally, Kabir had initially named his party the 'Janata Unnayan Party', but had to change it after it emerged that another small party already existed with that name.

The outfit was subsequently renamed 'Aam Janata Unnayan Party', he said. PTI SCH MNB