SC Asks EC To Decide Claim Over AIADMK Poll Symbol By Nov 10:- To decide the claims over the AIADMK’s two-leaves election symbol by the rival factions of the party, the Supreme Court on Friday granted time till November 10 to the Election Commission.

The poll panel can go ahead with its scheduled hearing today itself, said the apex court. The petition filed by T T V Dinakaran, the deputy general secretary of a faction of the AIADMK party, was disposed off by a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. The bench challenged the Madras High Court order, asking the poll panel to decide the election symbol row by October 31.

A four months time was sought by TTV Dinakaran, on some grounds, including that the rival factions have filed affidavits running into 10,000 pages and he needed time to respond to them. The order passed by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court was assailed by Senior advocate Ashok Desai, appearing for Dinakaran. Mr. Desai said he has not been given reasonable time to put forth his case before the poll panel.

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

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

SUPRAJA