Cannot allot PMK symbol to either faction amid leadership dispute: ECI in Delhi HC

Chennai, Dec 4 The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed the Delhi High Court that it cannot assign the Pattali Makkal Katchi’s (PMK) 'mango' symbol to either the Anbumani Ramadoss faction or the S. Ramadoss faction due to the ongoing internal leadership dispute within the party.

The long-standing rift between PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss and his son, former Union Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, has intensified, prompting legal and organisational confusion.

Dr Ramadoss has argued that his son’s tenure as party president has expired, making him the rightful leader of PMK. On the other hand, Anbumani claims that the ECI has already recognised him as the party president based on the documents he submitted earlier. In this context, Anbumani had earlier been acknowledged by the ECI as party president, relying on documents that Dr Ramadoss now alleges were incorrect.

Contesting this recognition, the PMK founder filed a petition before the Delhi High Court, claiming that the ECI accepted “wrong documents” without proper scrutiny and overlooked the genuine records submitted by him.

The matter came up for hearing on Thursday before Justice Mini Pushkarna.

During the proceedings, the ECI stated unequivocally that it cannot accept Form A and Form B submitted by either faction as long as both claim ownership of the party. Consequently, it said, the PMK’s election symbol must remain “frozen” until the dispute is resolved through legal channels.

Senior advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for Dr Ramadoss, alleged that Anbumani had misrepresented facts before the ECI. He argued that Anbumani’s tenure was limited to three years and expired in May 2025, yet he purportedly submitted documents claiming that a general body meeting held in 2023 was actually the one convened in 2022, thereby extending his term till 2026.

Singh contended that despite the founder submitting authentic records, the ECI had erred in recognising Anbumani.

He further argued that when two individuals claim leadership of a political party, the ECI cannot adjudicate -- the matter must be decided by a competent court.

Meanwhile, the counsel representing Anbumani dismissed the allegations as an attempt to mislead the court. The counsel argued that the founder’s petition should be rejected and insisted that their faction represents the legitimate PMK, noting that Dr Ramadoss is now 90 years old.

Clarifying its position, the ECI reiterated that when internal disputes arise during an election cycle, the party symbol cannot be allotted, and the institution should not be blamed for conflicts originating within political organisations.

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