EC a constitutional body, HC can't set deadline: Poll body

NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC on Monday wondered why it should not await a final decision by the Election Commission (EC) before taking a call on the dispute between the rival Shiv Sena factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde over the party's "bow and arrow" symbol.
Justice Sanjeev Narula observed that the court would ask the EC to decide the issue in a time-bound manner and both factions could put their contentions before the panel. But the EC's counsel argued that it was a constitutional body and a specific timeline should not be set.
In an interim order on October 8, the EC had barred the Sena factions from using the party name and symbol in the November 3 Andheri East bypoll. Justice Narula on Monday noted the two groups were given separate symbols by the EC for the bypoll.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Uddhav, contended that the EC could not be permitted to proceed on the assumption that Shinde hadn't been disqualified when the issue was pending before the apex court. Sibal also clai- med that his political activity had come to a standstill and day-to-day prejudice was being cau- sed due to the symbol freeze.
Shinde's counsel argued that there was no need for the HC's interference at this stage when the "(interim) direction has worked itself out" after the bypoll and now the "ball is in the EC's court".