AIADMK symbol: SC asks EC to decide over claims by rival factions by Nov 10

The Supreme Court on Friday granted time till November 10 to the Election Commission to decide the claims over the AIADMK's two-leaves election symbol by the rival factions of the party.

The apex court also said the poll panel can go ahead with its scheduled hearing today itself.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra disposed of the petition filed by T T V Dhinakaran, the deputy general secretary of a faction of the AIADMK party, challenging a Madras High Court order asking the poll panel to decide the election symbol row by October 31.

Dhinakaran had sought at least four months more on some grounds, including that the rival factions have filed affidavits running into 10,000 pages and he needed time to respond to them.

Senior advocate Ashok Desai, appearing for Dhinakaran, assailed the order passed by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court that he has not been given reasonable time to put forth his case before the poll panel.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the rival AIADMK faction, claimed Dhinakaran had very few MPs and MLAs in his support and wanted to prolong the proceedings.

The apex court disposed of the petition, saying the poll panel was a high constitutional body which was competent to deal with the question as per the provisions of the law.