Tamil Nadu elections: PMK founder S Ramadoss slams ECI over ‘mango’ symbol allotment

VILLUPURAM: PMK founder S Ramadoss on Friday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI), saying it took "biased" and "unilateral" actions on the issue of allotting party's ‘mango' symbol. The statement comes after a civil court in Chennai declined to freeze the symbol or grant interim relief to the party founder, allowing the faction led by his son and party president, Anbumani Ramadoss, to continue using it for the 2026 assembly elections. Ramadoss recounted the party's 37-year history since its founding on July 16, 1989 as well as his own achievements. Referring to his son, he alleged that those he personally groomed are now attempting to "usurp the party using forged documents and fraudulent methods".

"The ECI's decision to act arbitrarily in the case of an unrecognised party such as the PMK is a murder of democracy. Instead of acting as a neutral arbiter, the commission has actively supported those trying to hijack this movement," said Ramadoss.