The confusion arose apparently because the list of free symbols had not been updated by the Delhi Electoral Office. After the allotment of symbols to recognised parties, the list was not updated in February and the old list was sent to the Returning Officers (ROs) on October 10. According to the rules, independent candidates can only be allotted a symbol from the free symbol list in the Delhi Gazette. Once a symbol is given to a recognised party in the state, it becomes a reserved symbol and cannot be given to an independent.

The electoral office realised its mistake three days after the symbols were allotted, creating panic among the candidates. ``Already on a shoe-string budget, we can't afford to print fresh banners and posters,'' said a candidate from Gandhinagar.

It all began when Raghuvir Jain of the Gandhinagar constituency received a phone-call saying that his nomination would be cancelled if he did not change his symbol, a cycle, immediately. ``I had started campaigning and now everything has come to a stand-still. They have been saying since yesterday that they will give a new symbol. Now two days have passed since we appealed to the Election Commission,'' said Jain. The cycle was allotted to him after his request for a rising sun, a lion and engine had already been rejected.

The ROs are peeved as they feel that they are being wrongly blamed by the Electoral Office. ``We did not get proper communication regarding the updated list. It is not our fault that we were told about the decision late,'' said an RO on conditions of anonymity. He claims it was the result of laxity on part of the Electoral Office.

The officers at the Electoral Office were not available for comment. However, the joint Election Commissioner, Subhash Pani said: ``It happens at times. We are aware of the situation. We have asked for a detailed report and the decision will taken tomorrow.''

The concerned ROs and candidates, in the meanwhile, are hoping that quasi judicial action will be taken to regulate all the symbols, saving them a lot of trouble.