A public interest litigation filed in the Madras High Court by M.L. Ravi, president of Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi, seeks directions to the Election Commission of India to prevent members of one political party from contesting elections on symbols reserved for another party. The plea argues that this practice misleads returning officers and voters about candidates' true affiliations.
M.L. Ravi, president of Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi, has filed a public interest litigation in the Madras High Court through counsel A.P. Suryaprakasam. The petition urges the Election Commission of India (ECI) to enforce the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, ensuring that reserved symbols are allotted only to bona fide members of the party holding them.
Ravi highlighted that political parties in alliances publicly declare their candidates will contest on alliance partners' reserved symbols, submitting Forms A and B through misrepresentation. This misleads returning officers and the electorate about candidates' true party affiliations. After elections, such candidates represent their original parties in the legislative assembly.
"The Returning Officers as well as the electorate are misled regarding the true political affiliation of the candidates... This practice amounts to misrepresentation and deception of the electorate," the petitioner's affidavit states.
The petitioner noted a representation made to the ECI on March 12, 2026, and seeks directions for the commission to frame guidelines preventing such misuse. It also requests an interim order to the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer to instruct returning officers that only genuine party members submit Form B for symbol allotment.
The case, governed by Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, could clarify symbol allocation ahead of upcoming elections in Tamil Nadu.
