MHC directs ECI to consider GK Vasan's bi-cycle symbol claim with seniority

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider the application of Tamil Maanila Congress-Moopanar (TMC-M) president G K Vasan, claiming bi-cycle symbol for the ensuing 2024 general election with seniority.

A division bench comprising Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq heard the petition preferred by GK Vasan seeking to direct the ECI to allot bi-cycle symbol to his party.

The standing counsel, Niranjan Rajagopal, for ECI, submitted that there is some defection in the application filed by the petitioner.

The commission is ready to consider the petitioner's plea if he files a fresh application enclosing relevant documents, said the counsel.

Further, his application will be considered before the announcement of the 2024 Parliament election dates, he added.

The counsel appearing for Vasan submitted that his client's application should have to be considered with seniority as his party held the symbol since 1996.

After the submission the bench directed the petitioner to file a fresh application before ECI enclosing all the documents.

The bench also directed the ECI to consider the petitioner's application under 10B of Elections Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Act, with seniority and disposed of the petition.

GK Vasan moved the MHC as his application filed before ECI was not considered and sought the court's intervention, as the election dates may be announced at any time.

Similarly, GK Vasan withdrew a petition from the MHC which was filed in 2019 seeking to quash the ECI proceedings imposing a condition that bi-cycle symbol can be used only if the requirement of a minimum number of candidates, as prescribed in para 10B of elections symbols act.

In 1996 the ECI allotted the bicycle symbol to Tamil Maanila Congress when it was led by GK Moopanar for contesting the election.

Subsequently, the ECI recognised TMC after its victory in the 1996 election.

After the demise of Moopanar, TMC was taken over by his son Vasan and later it was merged with Indian National Congress (INC) in 2002.

Later, Vasan parted away from INC in 2014, and approached the ECI seeking a bicycle symbol again, however, his request was rejected as bicycle is a reserved symbol.

After the intervention of MHC, in 2019 the ECI agreed to allot the bicycle symbol if TMC contested in two seats. However, in the 2019 election, TMC was given only one seat in NDA alliance, hence, Vasan was not availed with the bicycle symbol.