New Delhi, Nov 20: The Delhi High Court today rejected the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party's petition seeking direction to the Election Commission (EC) to allot an exclusive symbol to all its candidates for Delhi Assembly polls. Justice B D Ahmed dismissed the party's plea saying once the electoral process was set in motion, no court could interfere in the matter till declaration of results.
Even otherwise, the Election Commission has not faulted or acted unreasonably, the court said.
"Courts are to facilitate the electoral process and not to impede the same," Justice Ahmed, who had yesterday asked the EC to consider if it was possible to allot an exclusive symbol to all the candidates of panthers party here, observed after hearing submissions of EC counsel Pankaj Rai Chopra and Panthers Party president Prof. Bhim Singh.
The party's Delhi unit chief Sanjoy Sachdev had sought quashing of the EC's November 17 order allotting 'bicycle' symbol to the candidates of Panthers Party and Samajwadi Party in 6 and 28 constituencies respectively.
Prof. Bhim Singh had urged the court to ask the EC to issue an exclusive symbol other than 'bicycle' to both Panthers Party and Samajwadi Party so as to avoid confusion among voters.
Prof Singh told that he would challenge the High Court's order in the Supreme Court.
Bureau Report