ECI to Decide on AIADMK's Iconic Symbol in Four Weeks: Madras HC Update
Click to start listening
Chennai, Dec 4 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has communicated to the Madras High Court that a decision will be made within four weeks concerning a petition that seeks to block the allocation of the 'Two Leaves' symbol to candidates put forth by AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS).
A petition was filed by S. Surya Moorthi, a resident of Dindigul and a self-identified member of the AIADMK, urging the court to stop the distribution of the party's renowned symbol to the faction led by EPS.
A division bench consisting of Justices R. Subramanian and C. Kumarappan noted the submission made by ECI standing counsel Niranjan Rajagopalan on Wednesday (December 4).
The counsel informed the court that a notice had been sent to the AIADMK, which has already provided its response.
The commission assured the court that it would reach a decision after reviewing all representations within the specified four-week timeframe.
The court instructed the ECI to hear from all relevant parties prior to making a determination.
This directive followed a request by senior counsel P.H. Arvindh Pandian, who represents expelled AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam (OPS), arguing that his client had not received a notice despite his significant role in the party's leadership conflict.
The High Court noted that multiple civil suits are in progress, challenging the resolutions of the AIADMK's general council and its practices.
While interim applications have been resolved, related orders have been subsequently addressed by the Supreme Court.
The 'Two Leaves' symbol was frozen by the ECI back in March 2017 following a power struggle within the AIADMK after the passing of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in December 2016.
In November 2017, the symbol was jointly allocated to Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and O. Panneerselvam (OPS).
However, in March 2023, the AIADMK declared that EPS had been elected unopposed as its general secretary after the Madras High Court dismissed interim applications filed by expelled leaders, including OPS, P.H. Manoj Pandian, R. Vaithilingam, and J.C.D. Prabhakar.
The current writ petition was lodged ahead of the 2024 Parliamentary elections. The ECI has directed its counsel to send notices and request responses from all relevant parties.
The Madras High Court, while concluding the petition, stressed that the ECI must uphold fairness by hearing from all stakeholders before finalizing its decision regarding the allocation of the 'Two Leaves' symbol.
