The Madras High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to revoke the allocation of the lotus flower symbol to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy dismissed the plea filed by T Ramesh, the founder of the Tamil Nadu-based Ahimsa Socialist Party. Ramesh argued in his plea that since the lotus flower is India’s “national flower,” assigning its symbol to any political party is inappropriate and undermines national integrity. He had previously argued on December 8, 2023, that the lotus symbol holds religious significance and serves as a national emblem. Hence, by allotting it to the BJP, the Election Commission of India had violated its own regulations.
When questioned by the Chief Justice about how he was personally affected by the allotment of the symbol to the BJP, Ramesh claimed discrimination against other parties, alleging “gross injustice” against them. Consequently, the Court directed him to deposit ₹20,000 as evidence of his sincerity in the matter.
