Case over freezing Two Leaves symbol: Madras HC turns down plea seeking more time to respond

CHENNAI: In a setback to one of the petitioners in the Election Commission of India (ECI) case over the allotment of the 'Two Leaves' symbol to AIADMK under Edappadi K Palaniswami, the Madras High Court has refused to grant a litigant further time to respond to a notice connected with the case.

The petitioner, S Surya Moorthi from Dindigul, moved the present plea, claiming that the ECI didn't serve the counter filed by Palaniswami, making it impossible to respond. He sought 8 weeks of time.

He is one of the litigants who had filed a case, along with expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, seeking to freeze the 'Two Leaves' symbol.

A division bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice C Kumarappan dismissed the petition moved by Surya Moorthi and directed the ECI to consider the representation of the petitioner.

The court directed the poll body to dispose of the matter, seeking to freeze the 'Two Leaves' after hearing all the parties, including O Panneerselvam.

The ECI had already submitted that the matter would be disposed of within four weeks. It had already issued notice to AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami in this regard.

The petitioner, Surya Moorthi, claiming himself as a member of AIADMK, submitted that from 2017 to 2022, various complaints were lodged by him before the ECI regarding the AIADMK internal issue and allotment of the 'Two Leaves' symbol. However, the commission failed to take any action, he argued.

He alleged that after the demise of party supremo J Jayalalithaa, the party is functioning in a dictatorial manner against the rules and regulations of the party.

He filed various civil suits, which are still pending before the city civil court. He had argued that till the disposal of the pending civil suits, the ECI should not allocate the 'Two Leaves' symbol to AIADMK or any other factions.