The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a Madras High Court decision regarding the internal power struggle within the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), directing party founder S. Ramadoss to seek relief from a civil court concerning the use of the party’s ‘mango’ symbol for the upcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi ruled that the Election Commission of India (ECI) cannot adjudicate symbol allocation disputes for unregistered political parties. However, acknowledging that an aggrieved party “must not be left remediless,” the top court mandated a three-day deadline for the civil court to decide on any fresh application filed by Tuesday, March 24.
The legal battle centers on a rift between PMK founder S. Ramadoss and his son, Anbumani Ramadoss. The elder Ramadoss sought to restrain his son from using the party’s name, flag, and the ‘mango’ symbol. Anbumani, who was expelled from the party in September last year, continues to claim the presidency.
S. Ramadoss had approached the court seeking a direction to the ECI to either allow his faction exclusive use of the symbol or freeze it entirely to prevent Anbumani’s faction from utilizing it during the elections. Polling is scheduled for April 9 in Puducherry and April 23 in Tamil Nadu, with counting on May 4.
The Supreme Court’s intervention follows a February 20 decision by the Madras High Court, which dismissed Ramadoss’s petitions. The High Court had agreed with the ECI’s submission that it lacks the jurisdiction to resolve factional disputes within unrecognised parties, noting that such matters must be settled through a civil court decree.
“The high court appears to be right in holding that the dispute re: allocation of symbol among the two rival groups of an unrecognised political party cannot be decided by the Election Commission of India,” the Supreme Court bench observed.
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, representing the PMK, argued that if the ECI “unfreezes” the symbol without a clear directive, it could potentially be allotted to anyone via a lottery system. He maintained that the ECI would eventually have to be the body to formalize the symbol’s status.
Conversely, Senior Advocates Meenakshi Arora, Mukta Gupta, and Shyam Divan, appearing for various parties, argued that the issue is strictly within the purview of the civil court.
The Supreme Court has now cleared the way for an expedited civil hearing. “If such an application is filed by tomorrow, i.e., March 24, 2026, we direct the civil court to decide the same after hearing the parties and in accordance with law within a period of three days,” the order stated.
The bench clarified that it has not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case, leaving all contentions open for the civil court to decide, including the impleadment of PMK General Secretary Vadivel Ravanan, who has already been made a party to the lower court proceedings.
