The political future of a megastar-turned politician from Andhra Pradesh ironically rests on the fate of a megastar-turned-politician from Tamil Nadu. With the Election Commission of India having virtually turned down Prajarajyam
HYDERABAD: The political future of a megastar-turned politician from Andhra Pradesh ironically rests on the fate of a megastar-turned-politician from Tamil Nadu. With the Election Commission of India having virtually turned down Prajarajyam president Chiranjeevi's plea for a common symbol to fight the coming elections on the grounds that he does not meet the required criteria, Chiranjeevi will have to bank on the petition filed by Tamil superstar Vijayakanth in the Supreme Court to bail him out.
Vijayakanth had moved the apex court challenging the rejection of his plea for a common symbol by the EC on the grounds that there is no co-relation between allotment of a common election symbol and the percentage of votes secured by a party registered by the commission. The Supreme Court had issued notices to the EC on November 26, 2008 to which the commission is said to be in the process of responding.
As per the EC rules, for a political party to be recognised as a state party, it should have secured at least six per cent of the valid votes polled in the state at a general election or to the assembly. In addition, it should have won at least two assembly seats in the state concerned.
After floating the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Vijayakanth had contested 232 of the total 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu assembly in 2006. While he could secure 8.33 per cent of the total votes and fulfil one of the criteria laid down by the EC, he could win only one assembly seat, that of himself from Virddhachalam.
Subsequently, when he went to the EC to seek a common symbol, his plea was rejected after which he moved the apex court. In his petition, Vijayakanth questioned the link between the number of votes polled and the seats won. There was no definite and scientific relation between the seats won and the votes secured by a party in a democracy adopting the 'first-past-the-post' system of election, he contended. The petitioner has urged the court to quash the said rule for allotting fixed (common) symbols to the political parties and sought recognition for his outfit as a state-level party.
In Chiranjeevi's case, his Prajarajyam has not contested any election so far, and therefore, cannot be given a fixed symbol by the EC. His hope for a common symbol now depends on how the apex court treats Vijayakanth's petition.
posted by MEGA NANI
Vijayakanth had moved the apex court challenging the rejection of his plea for a common symbol by the EC on the grounds that there is no co-relation between allotment of a common election symbol and the percentage of votes secured by a party registered by the commission. The Supreme Court had issued notices to the EC on November 26, 2008 to which the commission is said to be in the process of responding.
As per the EC rules, for a political party to be recognised as a state party, it should have secured at least six per cent of the valid votes polled in the state at a general election or to the assembly. In addition, it should have won at least two assembly seats in the state concerned.
After floating the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Vijayakanth had contested 232 of the total 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu assembly in 2006. While he could secure 8.33 per cent of the total votes and fulfil one of the criteria laid down by the EC, he could win only one assembly seat, that of himself from Virddhachalam.
Subsequently, when he went to the EC to seek a common symbol, his plea was rejected after which he moved the apex court. In his petition, Vijayakanth questioned the link between the number of votes polled and the seats won. There was no definite and scientific relation between the seats won and the votes secured by a party in a democracy adopting the 'first-past-the-post' system of election, he contended. The petitioner has urged the court to quash the said rule for allotting fixed (common) symbols to the political parties and sought recognition for his outfit as a state-level party.
In Chiranjeevi's case, his Prajarajyam has not contested any election so far, and therefore, cannot be given a fixed symbol by the EC. His hope for a common symbol now depends on how the apex court treats Vijayakanth's petition.
posted by MEGA NANI
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