SC suspends HC order asking EC to allot symbol to AIADMK faction

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dubbed the Sasikala-Dinakaran faction of the AIADMK as an “unrecognised” “splinter group” and kept in abeyance for now a controversial high court order which had asked the Election Commission to allot it the “pressure cooker” symbol.

“You are a splinter group. You are not even registered. The High Court should not have granted the symbol (of pressure cooker) …,” a twojudge bench, led by CJI Dipak Misra, observed.Instead, the top court asked the HC to give a final ruling on the issue of who the true inheritor of the Jaya mantle was –– both the ruling OPSEPS faction and the other faction had laid claims to this after her death.

The Election Commission had allotted both factions temporary symbols to allow them to contest the RK Nagar seat. But the polls never took place. Eventually, the EC allotted the “two leaves” –– the AIADMK’s original symbol –– to the EPS-OPS combine.