NCP relents, finally accepts water lily bud as electoral symbol

After weeks of dispute with the Election Commission (EC), the National Citizen Party (NCP) has finally agreed to accept the water lily bud as its electoral symbol, ending an impasse that had threatened to derail its participation in the upcoming polls.

The compromise marks a significant climbdown from the party’s earlier stance demanding a full-bloomed water lily, a position it had described as “non-negotiable.”

NCP’s Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari confirmed the decision on Sunday (November 2) following a meeting with EC officials. “We have decided to participate in the election under the water lily bud symbol,” he said, calling it a “practical choice” to move forward with preparations.

From defiance to compromise

Just days earlier, Patwari had publicly declared that his party would not compromise on the issue. “We have always said that NCP wants the water lily. NCP will contest elections with the water lily. We are uncompromising on this issue,” he said at a recent event.

The Election Commission, however, rejected the party’s request for the full flower, adding the “water lily bud” instead to its list of registered electoral symbols on October 30.

The decision sparked immediate backlash from NCP leaders. Advocate Zahirul Islam Musa, the party’s Central Joint Member Secretary, told reporters, “We want the water lily, not the bud. The EC previously claimed that the water lily couldn’t be included. But now that the bud has been added, there is no reason the full flower can’t be.”

He had also warned that the NCP would not consider any alternative symbol.

EC’s stance prevails

Despite the party’s objections, EC officials reportedly stood firm, citing symbol duplication rules and existing claims by other registered parties. Following Sunday’s meeting, NCP leaders signalled their acceptance of the decision “in the interest of electoral participation.”

Political observers said the dispute, though symbolic in nature, reflected the NCP’s effort to assert political identity ahead of the national elections. “For new or smaller parties, symbols carry heavy branding value. Relenting on one is often seen as a test of strategic flexibility,” said a senior election analyst.

With the issue resolved, NCP can now formally begin its campaign, joining other parties that have already started mobilising under their allotted symbols.