New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) whether the Sasikala-TTV Dhinakaran(his name is also spelled Dinakaran) faction of AIADMK can use the ‘hat’ symbol to file nominations for the upcoming by-poll to the RK Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu. Justice SP Garg asked the poll panel’s lawyer to take instructions and inform the court on this aspect at 2.30 pm on Friday. [caption id=“attachment_4236883” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of TTV Dhinakaran. Getty Images[/caption] The hat symbol was given to the Sasikala-Dhinakaran group by the ECI in March after it had frozen the use of the ’two-leaves’ symbol, to which a group led by Tamil Nadu chief minister EK Palaniswamy and O Panneerselvam had also laid claim. The Palaniswamy-Panneerselvam faction had at the same time been granted the ’electric pole’ symbol. However, on 23 November the poll panel ruled in favour of Palaniswamy-Panneerselvam faction by allotting the ’two-leaves’ symbol to them. The Sasikala-Dhinakaran faction in its plea has also challenged the 23 November order of the ECI, besides seeking interim directions permitting it to use the ‘hat’ symbol to file nominations. However, the other faction contended before the court on Friday that only the returning officer (RO) can decide whether the Sasikala faction can use the ‘hat’ symbol.
The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Election Commission whether the Sasikala-TTV Dhinakaran faction of AIADMK can use the ‘hat’ symbol to file nominations for the upcoming by-poll to the RK Nagar assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu.
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