Plough (politics)

The Plough is the political symbol of the Jatiya Party (JP) in Bangladesh^[1] and Jammu & Kashmir National Conference in India.^[2]

After the independence of Bangladesh, Jatiya League participated in 1973 Bangladeshi general election with the plough. Ataur Rahman Khan, the leader of the party, joined JP in 1984 and then the symbol was chosen and used by JP founder Hussain Muhammad Ershad. During the by-election for Tangail-8 in 1999, Ershad's JP and its breakaway group Manju's JP got into a dispute about the rights of the electoral symbol. However, Bangladesh Election Commission declined both party's application for the usage of the plough. Ershad's JP sought High Court's decision regarding the dispute and the court ruled in favour of Ershad. Later Manju's party applied writ petition to the Supreme Court but they also ruled in favour of Ershad too.^[3] In 2013, JP decided to not participate for the 2014 Bangladeshi general election. As the party chose no to participate, they requested Bangladesh Election Commission to not allot plough for any party.^[4] In 2023, JP demanded to the Election Commission to cancel allotment of the anchor symbol for the Bangladesh Nationalist Movement. As a reason for the demand, the party showed that the anchor is very similar to the plough and voters would be confused during general elections if not removed.^[5] In the same year, the party announced to participate in 2024 Bangladeshi general election with their own electoral symbol instead of any alliance.^[6] In 2024, Ershad's JP was broken into two factions and both of them demanded the plough as their electoral symbol. But according to the Election Commission, if any faction wants to get the symbol then the factions' leader have to be JP's chairman maintaining the party constitution. The Quader faction claimed that the symbol was allotted to them by the Election Commission. On the other hand, the Rowshan faction claimed that according to the courts' rule the symbol is theirs.^[7]

The electoral symbol traces its origin to Krishak Praja Party in British India.^[1] In 1951, four years after the independence of India, Indian National Congress, Socialist Party, Communist Party of India and Peasants and Workers Party of India wanted to have plough as their electoral symbol. The Election Commission of India solved the dispute by not giving the symbol to any party.^[8] Janata Party, formed in 1977, chose the 'farmer with plough' as their electoral symbol.^[9] It is also used by Jammu & Kashmir National Conference in India. Before 2023 LAHDC Kargil election, the Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council requested to ban the symbols' usage in the election. In 6 September 2023, the court declined the request and granted the symbol to the party.^[2]

It was the electoral symbol of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Samyukta) (RPP Samyukta). In 2017, the Election Commission of Nepal alloted 'plough' to Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and 'plough inside a rectangle' to Ekikrit Rastriya Prajatantrik Party (Ekikrit RPP). The decision raised concern to the both parties while the Election Commission stated that it did that so that parties can find middle ground and solve disputes over the symbols.^[10] In 2020, RPP and RPP Samyukta unified as a single political party. As the electoral symbols of both were different, they decided to use plough till March 2021.^[11]

After the independence of Pakistan, East Bengal-based United Front wanted to have the plough for the 1954 East Bengal Legislative Assembly election, but as the symbol was used in British India by the Krishak Praja Party, the government didn’t grant them the symbol.^[1] Later, Awami League breakaway group Jatiya League, established in 1968, chose the plough as its electoral symbol and participated in 1970 Pakistani general election.^[3] Pakistan National Alliance chose the plough as their electoral symbol for the 1977 Pakistani general election. After Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq became the president in 1978, the symbol was removed from the list of the Election Commission of Pakistan.^[12]