HC Seeks EC Reply on Dhinakaran’s Plea for Suitable Name & Symbol

The court also sought Tamil Nadu CM EK Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam’s stand on the matter.

TTV Dhinakaran has challenged the EC order allotting the ‘two-leaves’ symbol to the AIADMK faction of EK Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam.

(Photo Courtesy: Tea Talk)

The Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, 24 January, sought the Election Commission's response on TTV Dhinakaran's plea to use a suitable name and symbol for his faction till his plea laying claim to the two-leaves symbol is decided.

Justice Rekha Palli also issued notice to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam, to whose group the EC has alloted the 'two-leaves' symbol of AIADMK and sought their stand on the matter.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on 6 February.

The application was filed by Dhinakaran in his main petition in which he has challenged the EC order allotting the 'two-leaves' symbol to the AIADMK faction of Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam.

In the main petition, which is pending, Dhinakaran has sought quashing of the 23 November EC order, alleging that it was bad law and needed to be set aside.

The issue has been lingering since April, last year, in the aftermath of the announcement of the bypoll to Radha Krishnan Nagar Assembly constituency, following the death of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in December 2016.

The High Court had, on 4 December 2017, declined to grant any interim relief to V K Sasikala-TTV Dhinakaran faction of the AIADMK by dismissing their plea to use the 'hat' symbol in the bypoll to the R K Nagar assembly constituency.

The order of the Commission had come as a setback to deposed party leader Sasikala, who is currently serving a four-year sentence in a Bengaluru jail in a disproportionate assets case, and her nephew Dhinakaran.

Earlier, rival factions led by Sasikala and Panneerselvam had staked claim over the symbol. Palaniswami was then in the Sasikala camp.

In an interim order in March, last year, the EC had barred the two factions from using the party's name or its two leaves symbol in the bypoll.

Later, a large number of legislators led by Palaniswami revolted against Sasikala and announced the merger of the two factions.

The Palaniswami-Panneerselvam camp then submitted affidavits before the EC staking claim over the party name and symbol, which was contested by the Sasikala-Dhinakaran faction.