Court sets aside SEC order on party recognition

Hyderabad : Justice Challa Kodandaram of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday set aside the order of the State Election Commission in refusing to grant recognition to All India Majlis -E-Inquilab-E-Millat. The Commission by its order of April 2020 had found that the abbreviated name of the political party bore semblance to an already existing political party namely AIMIM. The impugned order came even after an undertaking by the petitioner that it would use the abbreviation AIMIM (Inquilab).

The senior counsel L Ravichander appearing for the petitioner pointed out that various other political parties across the country and in the State were given such advantage which inexplicably was rejected for the petitioner.

Mayur Mundra, counsel for the petitioner, pleaded in his affidavit that the party suffered a unique paradox where its members could become a member of Parliament by virtue of recognition given by Election Commission of India but could not be Corporators by virtue of the impugned order.

In his verdict, Justice Challa Kodandaram pointed out how similar facility was granted to other name/abbreviated parties and the same cannot be denied to the petitioner.