In the capital city of India, New Delhi, the highest judicial body, the Supreme Court, has requested a response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding a petition submitted by Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), an unrecognized political entity hailing from Tamil Nadu. This plea pertains to the allocation of complimentary symbols to such unrecognized political entities on a basis of precedence.
An entity unrecognized by the political mainstream was bestowed with the electoral emblem initially designated for Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). The petitioner contests this assignment of the emblem ‘ganna kisan’ (sugarcane farmer) to another political outfit in the regions of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, ahead of the impending Lok Sabha elections.
A panel of three esteemed judges, led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, accompanied by Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, alongside the ECI, has initiated communication with the aforementioned unrecognized political entity.
The highest court has expressed intent to scrutinize the provisions outlined in Paragraph 10B (B) of the Election Symbols Order, which delineates the provision of complimentary symbols to parties and contenders on a first-come, first-served basis.
It is anticipated that the apex court will delve into the petition post the Holi vacation period. Earlier this month, the plea put forth by NTK was dismissed by the High Court, challenging the allocation of complimentary symbols by the electoral body to unrecognized political entities on a priority basis.
The High Court rejected the contentions presented by the petitioner, asserting that the Election Symbols Order in question was neither capricious nor unconstitutional. The petitioner underscored that such a directive would contravene the fundamental principle of complimentary symbols.