Dhinakaran group can’t get pressure cooker symbol: SC

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 26

In a setback to TTV Dhinakaran-led outfit, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to acknowledge its claim over “pressure cooker” as an election symbol for the Lok Sabha polls and Assembly bypoll in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, however, asked the Election Commission to consider allotting a common free election symbol to candidates of Dhinakaran’s group.

The order to consider granting a common free symbol to the list of 59 candidates furnished before it by the outfit was passed to ensure level-playing field and free and fair elections, it added.

As per the list, the Dhinakaran group has named 40 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls – 39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry. It has also given a list of 19 candidates for assembly byelections on 19 seats – 18 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry.

But allotting a common election symbol would not amount to granting recognition to his faction as a political group and its candidates would be treated as independents for all practical purposes, the Bench said.

It was the duty as well as right of the EC to consider granting registration to Dhinakaran’s outfit as a political party and it would be done in due course, it said.

The order came after the EC counsel made it clear that “pressure cooker” cannot be given to the Dhinakaran-led group as a common election symbol as it was not a registered political party.

The poll panel had on Monday told the court that it could allot “pressure cooker” as a common symbol to an individual candidate, but not to an unregistered political group.