Hari Rajmanikkam (President Of Political Party National Dravida Regional Party) v. Election Commission Of India
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
+ W.P.(C) 11123/2025 & CM APPL. 45747/2025 HARI RAJMANIKKAM (PRESIDENT OF POLITICAL PARTY NATIONAL DRAVIDA REGIONAL PARTY) .....Petitioner Through:
Mr. Ali Md Maaz, Advocate Mob: 9650196304 Email: maazjustice@gmail.com versus ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA .....Respondent Through:
Mr.
Sidhant Kumar, Mr.
Vishal Chanda and Mr. Om Batra, Advocates for ECI Mob: 9971605833 Email: skumar@unumlaw.in
CORAM:
HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE MINI PUSHKARNA
O R D E R
% 30.07.2025 1.
The present writ petition has been filed seeking directions to the respondent to grant the earliest possible date of hearing for the registration of the petitioner's political party.
2.
There is a further prayer seeking directions to the respondent to complete the registration process and issue the Certificate of Registration to the petitioner, in order to enable the petitioner to contest the upcoming State Legislative Assembly Elections, scheduled to be held in 2026, in a timely and effective manner.
3.
Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the petitioner had filed an application on 19th April, 2024, before the Election Commission of India, seeking registration of a political party under the The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
name "Bharathiya Dravida Janatha Party", in full compliance with Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. 4.
It is submitted that since the petitioner did not receive any response thereto, the petitioner filed an application under The Right to Information Act, 2005 ("RTI Act") on 26th August, 2024, to inquire about the status of the application.
5.
It is further submitted that the respondent vide reply dated 6th September, 2024, sought submission of a panel of alternative names, citing similarity of the name of the petitioner's party with an existing party name. Accordingly, the petitioner submitted the revised list of names on 17th September, 2024.
6.
Thereafter, in the absence of further communication from the respondent, the petitioner filed a second RTI application on 15th January, 2025. Since the petitioner was aggrieved by the continued inaction by the respondent, the petitioner approached this Court vide W.P. (C) No. 2144/2025, seeking directions to the respondent for issuance of the mandatory public notice regarding registration of the petitioner's political party.
7.
It is further submitted that pursuant thereto, the respondent issued a letter on 18th February, 2025, informing that the name "National Dravida Regional Party" has been approved for publication. Subsequently, the petitioner published the notice in the newspapers on 3rd March, 2025, and 4th March, 2025, and the statutory objection period expired on 03rd April, 2025, and 4th April, 2025, respectively. Thereafter, the respondent also uploaded the notice on its website.
8.
It is submitted that the petitioner submitted a final compliance The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
application on 10th March, 2025. However, since then, no further communication has been received from the respondent regarding personal hearing or issuance of the Registration Certificate. Thus, the present writ petition has been filed.
9.
Per contra, learned counsel appearing for the respondent-Election Commission of India has handed over a copy of the letter dated 25th July, 2025, issued by the Election Commission of India to the petitioner herein. The said letter is reproduced as under:
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
10.
Thus, it is submitted that the respondent is considering the application of the petitioner, and that the petitioner is required to file a reply to the aforesaid letter dated 25th July, 2025.
11.
In rejoinder, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that he shall file a reply to the aforesaid letter, expeditiously, within a period of five days.
12.
Having heard learned counsels for the parties, it transpires that the respondent is considering the application of the petitioner, and the same is under process. This Court takes note of the fact that a Verification Report dated 25th June, 2025, has been received by the respondent-Election Commission of India from the office of the District Election Officer, Bangalore.
13.
Pursuant thereto, a letter dated 25th July, 2025 has been written by the respondent to the petitioner herein, clearly seeking reply from the petitioner with regard to the office of the petitioner located at Flat No. A4, 4th Floor, 12th Square Apartment, T.C. Palya Main Road, near Reliance Fresh, T.C. Palya, Bangalore-560036.
14.
Accordingly, it is manifest that the respondent-Election Commission of India is dealing with the application of the petitioner. 15.
Considering the facts and circumstances as aforesaid, the petitioner is directed to reply to the letter dated 25th July, 2025, issued by the respondent, within a period of one week from today.
16.
Upon the petitioner filing the reply, the same shall be considered by the respondent expeditiously.
17.
Further, final decision on the application of the petitioner for registration of the party shall be taken at the earliest, preferably, within a The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
period of six months, from today.
18.
During the course of considering the application of the petitioner, if need be, the respondent is at liberty to call the petitioner for personal hearing.
19.
With the aforesaid directions, the present writ petition, along with the pending application, is disposed of.
MINI PUSHKARNA, J JULY 30, 2025 ak The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.