NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday kept in abeyance a Delhi High Court order which had asked the Election Commission to consider allotting the ‘pressure cooker’ poll symbol to the AIADMK faction led by T T V Dhinakaran. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar also asked Delhi High Court acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal to set up a two-judge bench to decide the main dispute between the two AIADMK factions over their rival claims on the party and its ‘two leaves’ symbol by April end. One faction is led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswamy and the other by Dhinakaran.
Earlier this month, Delhi High Court had directed the poll panel to allot a common symbol, preferably a ‘pressure cooker’, and a name to the AIADMK (Amma) side led by Dhinakaran. The high court order came on an application by Dhinakaran challenging an Election Commission order of November 23 last year which had said, “I deem it appropriate to direct the Election Commission of India, which has the necessary expertise to deal with allotment of symbols, to pass an appropriate order to permit the petitioner and his group of persons to use a common symbol (preferably ‘pressure cooker’ as used by the petitioner during R K Nagar constituency bypoll) and also permit them to use the (party) name of their choice, after giving them an appropriate hearing.”
Taken on record
The Supreme Court said that the counter affidavit filed by Palaniswamy faction before the High Court hall be taken on record and no further opportunity will be granted for filing another response.