The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission to consider the pleas of three minor parties demanding common symbols to contest in the ensuing Assembly polls scheduled for April 6.

The All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi, headed by actor-turned-politician R Sarath Kumar, Puthiya Thamilagam (PT), led by Dr K Krishnasamy and Indiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK), represented by its president Ravi Pachamuthu, had moved the court seeking allotment of a common symbol, if not a particular symbol of their choice.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, before which the petitions came up for hearing, directed the parties to submit their applications afresh on Tuesday itself.

The EC should consider them and pass appropriate orders by 6 PM on Wednesday, the bench said and disposed of the petitions.