Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), represented by its president and former Union Minister G.K. Vasan, has approached the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allot the bicycle symbol to it during the general election this year.
In an affidavit filed in support of the writ petition, Mr. Vasan said his father G.K. Moopanar had founded the TMC(M) in 1996 after parting ways with the Indian National Congress. It was allotted the bicycle symbol on April 2, 1996 for contesting the elections.
TMC(M) not only became a registered party but also a recognised political party by the ECI when it was part of the ruling coalition in the Centre in 1996. It contested the 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2001 elections using the bicycle symbol and “won considerable number of seats.”
