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EC directed to examine TRS request for symbol

By Our Legal Correspondent

HYDERABAD DEC. 9. A Division Bench of the High Court, comprising the Judges, B. Sudershan Reddy and K.C. Bhanu, on Monday directed the Election Commission to reexamine the request of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), seeking an exclusive symbol for it for the coming Assembly elections.

The Bench was disposing of the writ petition filed by the TRS through its general secretary, Yadagiri Reddy. The petitioner complained that the Election Commission was refusing to allot symbol to it, on ground that there is no provision to allot symbol to any political party before general elections. The petitioner submitted that the TRS had already won a large number of seats in local body elections and the Assembly byelection, and it had been recognised by the State Election Commission.

The Election Commission took the stand that there were more than 600 such parties seeking allotment of symbol. It was averred that a symbol could be given only to parties that had full-fledged recognition, and such recognition came when they got a minimum number of votes and seats in a general election.

The Bench felt that the Symbol Order did not take into consideration all the situations and the present situation was unique in nature.

The Bench was of the opinion that the case of the petitioner could not be compared to other parties and the Election Commission should exercise its power under Article 324 of the Constitution and Clause 18 of the Symbol Order. The Bench directed the Election Commission to take the final decision after affording an opportunity to the petitioner party and pass the order within three weeks.

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