Delhi High Court upholds ECI’s decision to allot ‘Two Leaves’ symbol to AIADMK

The court dismissed the petitions filed by V.K. Sasikala and T.T.V. Dhinakaran

FOR COIMBATORE 23/11/2017: 
A party worker aptly waves the two leaves symbol in front of the picture of the Late former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and the present Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at the AIADMK party office in Coimbatore on Thursday, on the heels of the Election Commission allocating the symbol to the faction led by Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. 
Photo:S. SIVA SARAVANAN

The Delhi High Court on February 28 upheld the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allot the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol to the AIADMK group led by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS).

The court dismissed the petitions filed by V.K. Sasikala, former interim general secretary of the AIADMK, and T.T.V. Dhinakaran, now the leader of the AMMK.

 

 

The High Court, however, asked the ECI not to allot the 'pressure cooker' symbol, which was allotted to Mr Dhinakaran in last bypoll, to any party for 15 days. This, the High Court said was to allow Mr. Dhinakaran to approach the Supreme Court to seek relief.

In its order of November 23, 2017, the ECI allowed the EPS-OPS group to call itself the AIADMK . As far as the order was concerned, E. Madhusudanan, now chairman of the presidium of the party, was the leader of the group.

Mr. Dhinakaran contested and won the R.K. Nagar Assembly bypoll under the 'pressure cooker' symbol.