Tamil Nadu chief-minister Edapadi K. Palaniswami has filed a reply petition with the Delhi Hih Court in a case relating to the allotment of the party symbol ‘Two-Leaves’.

Dinakaran, AIADMK dissident and an MLA from R.K. Nagar in Chennai, had earlier moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s decision to allot the ‘Two-Leaves’ symbol, the party’s name (AIADMK) and flag to the combined AIADMK comprising erstwhile factions led by OPS and EPS which merged in September last year.

Taking up Dinakaran’s petition, the Delhi High Court had issued notices to Tamil Nadu chief-minister Edapadi K. Palaniswami, who is also the deputy convener of the AIADMK, to respond to Dinakaran’s petition. Responding to the notice, the chief-minister’s reply petition was filed with the Delhi High Court yesterday.

“The Election Commission allotted the ‘Two-Leaves’ symbol, name and party’s flag to us only after inspecting voluminous documents submitted before it.  Dinakaran is not even a primary member of the party and, as such, has no right whatsoever to lay claim to the ‘Two-Leaves’ symbol. As he had approached the Delhi High Court instead of the High Court of Madras, the case may be dismissed,” the reply petition said.