SC Seeks EC Response on Naam Tamilar Katchi’s Challenge to Symbol Allocation

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Election Commission (EC) regarding a plea from the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), an unrecognised political party based in Tamil Nadu, challenging the allocation of free symbols to unrecognised political parties on a first-come, first-served basis.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also issued a notice to another unrecognised political party which was granted the poll symbol previously held by the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).

On March 1, the high court dismissed NTK’s petition challenging the allotment of free symbols by the poll panel to unrecognised political parties on a first-come, first-served basis. It rejected NTK’s argument that the Election Symbols Order in this regard was arbitrary and unconstitutional, stating that a contrary view would undermine the purpose of having free symbols.

The petitioner was displeased by the allocation of the free symbol ‘ganna kisan’ (sugarcane farmer) to another political party in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

While issuing the notice on the petition, the CJI stated that the appeal would be heard after the Holi vacation. The apex court mentioned that it would examine the scheme of Paragraph 10B (B) of the Election Symbols Order, which deals with the granting of free symbols to parties and candidates on a first-come, first-served basis.