TN parties seek SC help on symbols

Mar 11, 2011 - S.S. Negi |

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

As the election scenario hots up in Tamil Nadu, 13 smaller parties in the state, led by DMDK on Thursday, urged the top court to issue a direction to the Election Commission to allot them the same symbol for the upcoming Assembly elections used by them in the last Lok Sabha polls.

Considering the urgency of the matter, a bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and Cyriac Joseph took it up for arguments on a pending petition by DMDK and tagged the cases of other 12 parties with it.
The bench indicated after hearing over two-hours long arguments by senior advocate K.K. Venugopal for DMDK, headed by film actor Vijayakanth, that it might pass an order on Friday on the crucial issue.
The Election Commission has already marked its presence with a battery of lawyers, led by former attorney-general Ashok Desai. Meanwhile, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi also moved the top court on Thrusday while 11 other parties had filed their petitions earlier.
Mr Venugopal said the fresh direction was required in view of 2005 amendment in the EC rules on allotment of “free symbols” to those parties, which did not qualify to be the regional registered parties or national parties, decided on the basis of the votes polled and seats won in last election.
As per the amended rules a party has to get a certain percentage of votes as well as some number of seats in the last election to qualify for the status of state party.

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