PMK Symbol Row: Madras HC asks ECI to respond to S. Ramadoss' plea

The Madras High Court has directed the ECI to respond to a plea by PMK founder S. Ramadoss over the party's 'mango' symbol. Ramadoss alleges the symbol was wrongly allotted to the address of his son and former party president, Anbumani Ramadoss.

The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Election Commission of India to respond to a plea filed by Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss, in which he is seeking the allotment of a party symbol for his faction. The PMK founder alleged that the ECI wrongly issued a communication allotting the symbol to the address of the party's former president, Anbumani Ramadoss, who is no longer a member. The High Court refused to hear Senior Advocate NL Rajah, representing Anbumani, as he was not a party to the plea.

Ramadoss Challenges ECI Communication

Earlier, PMK founder Dr.S.Ramadoss filed a writ petition before the Madras High Court seeking to quash a communication issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on July 30, 2025, regarding the allotment of the party's 'mango' symbol, which was sent to his son and current president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss' address in Chennai. The petition was listed for hearing on February 2, 2026, before Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan.

Allegations of Fraud and Forgery

Ramadoss has urged the court to set aside the July 30 communication and direct the ECI to issue a fresh communication to his Chennai address, stating that he is the party's incumbent president. Though filed in the name of PMK, the writ petition states that the party is represented by its founder-cum-president Dr. S. Ramadoss. In his supporting affidavit, he stated that Anbumani Ramadoss' third tenure as party president had ended on May 28, 2025. The petitioner accused his son of committing fraud against the ECI by submitting forged documents to falsely present himself as the continuing party president. He contended that such claims were based on illegal party meetings held without the party founder's authorisation.

Dispute Over 'Mango' Symbol and ECI's Role

Claiming that he continues to be the lawful president of PMK, Dr. Ramadoss stated that the ECI had taken a decision on July 31, 2025, to allot the 'mango' symbol to the party for the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections held last year and also for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Additionally, Ramadoss noted that the Delhi High Court had recently ruled on a factional dispute within the PMK involving him and his son.

During the hearing on December 14, 2025, counsel for the ECI submitted that the Commission would freeze the 'mango' symbol for the 2026 elections. However, the Election Commission of India has neither issued any fresh communication to Dr. S.Ramadoss at his office address nor chosen to freeze the 'mango' symbol, despite the dispute arising from rival claims by the former president, who has been removed from the party membership on September 11, 2025," the affidavit stated.

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