CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) directed the Election Commission of India(ECI) to respond to the petition preferred by Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) president G K Vasan, claiming bicycle symbol for the upcoming general election.

A division bench comprising Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq heard the petition and directed the counsel appeared for ECI to get instructions and posted the matter to February 23(Friday) for further submission.

GK Vasan filed a petition in MHC seeking to direct the ECI to allot bicycle symbol for the 2024 general election.

The petition stated that a representation was made by him before the ECI on February 6, claiming the bicycle symbol, however, Vasan moved the MHC as the election may announce at anytime.

In 1996 the ECI allotted the bicycle symbol to TMC when it was led by GK Moopanar for contesting the election. Subsequently, the ECI recognised TMC after its victory in 1996 election.

After the demise of Moopanar, TMC was taken over by his son Vasan and later it was merged with Indian National Congress(INC), in 2002.

Later, Vasan parted away from INC in 2014, approached the ECI seeking bicycle symbol again, however, his request was rejected as bicycle is a reserved symbol.

After the intervention of MHC, in 2019 the ECI agreed to allot bicycle symbol, if TMC contested in two seats. However, in 2019 election TMC was given only one seat in NDA alliance, hence, Vasan was not availed the bicycle symbol.