Madras High Court dismisses cases filed by PMK founder Ramadoss seeking to freeze ‘mango’ symbol

Madras High Court dismisses Ramadoss's petitions to freeze 'mango' symbol, emphasizing resolution through civil court, not writs.

CHENNAI

The Madras High Court on Friday (February 20, 2026) dismissed two writ petitions filed by Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss seeking a direction to Election Commission of India (ECI) to either let his faction use the ‘mango’ symbol during the ensuing Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry or freeze the symbol altogether so that the faction led by his son R. Anbumani too would not be able to use it.

First Division Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan refused to entertain the two writ petitions after agreeing with the ECI standing counsel Niranjan Rajagoplan that factional disputes in a political party could be resolved only through a civil court decree and no such direction as sought by the party founder could be issued to the election commission.

After finding that a civil suit had already been filed in connection with the rival claims between the father and son over party presidentship, the judges said, the party founder ought not have approached the High Court with the present writ petitions instead of working out his remedy before the civil court. During the course of hearing, the judges also wanted to know why the dispute could not be solved through mediation.

Senior counsel Vijay Narayan, assisted by K. Balu, representing the faction led by Dr. Anbumani, said, Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the High Court had in August 2025 asked the father and son to meet him in his chambers, after court hours, in order to mediate a truce. While the son appeared in person, the father appeared through video call but the mediation failed since the father refused to talk with the son.

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