Mumbai. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Friday welcomed the Election Commission of India's decision to ban the 'trumpet' and 'tutari' election symbols, saying the BJP had created confusion about these among voters during the Lok Sabha elections, causing losses to the Sharad Pawar-led party. NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, “We are grateful to the state election commission… truth has prevailed. The BJP had misused the trumpet symbol to confuse our voters.

People were confused between our 'man blowing trumpet' and trumpet symbol, an example of which was seen in Satara constituency where our candidate Shashikant Shinde lost as voters pressed the trumpet symbol mistaking it for NCP (SP) symbol.” Shinde lost to BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale by 32,771 votes in Satara. After the Lok Sabha elections, the NCP (SP) had asked the Election Commission to remove these similar-looking symbols. In Maharashtra, the Election Commission had banned trumpet and trumpet symbols in its July 16 order. Crasto expressed confidence that people will now recognise the correct election symbol and vote for NCP (SP) in large numbers.