HARI RAJMANIKKAM (PRESIDENT OF PROPOSED POLITICAL PARTY BHARTIYA DRAVIDA JANATHA PARTY APPROVED NAME NATIONAL DRAVIDA REGIONAL PARTY vs ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA

Judgment text excerpt

$~34 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of decision: 2nd February, 2026 + W.P.(C) 1361/2026 & CM APPL. 6727/2026 HARI RAJMANIKKAM (PRESIDENT OF PROPOSED POLITICAL PARTY BHARTIYA DRAVIDA JANATHA PARTY APPROVED NAME NATIONAL DRAVIDA REGIONAL PARTY .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Ali Md. Maaz, Advocate versus ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA .....Respondent Through: Ms. Rohini Prasad, Ms. Anshika Ranjan and Ms. Samridhi Srivastava, Advocates for R-1 CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AMIT BANSAL AMIT BANSAL, J. (Oral) 1. The present writ petition has been filed seeking the following reliefs:- “A) issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction to the respondent declaring the Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed W.P.(C) 1361/2026 Page 1 of 9 By:AANCHAL TAGGAR Signing Date:04.02.2026 17:26:15 ongoing physical verification of founding members are ultra vires, illegal, arbitrary and unlawful and without any force of Law. B) Issue a writ of mandamus, or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction, directing the Respondent to grant the Petitioner a personal hearing as the mandatory publication having already been completed several months ago, and thereafter to conclude the registration process and issue the certificate of registration, thereby enabling the Petitioner- Party to contest the forthcoming Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly elections, within a period of 30 days from the date of the order passed by this Hon’ble Court.” 2. It is the case of the petitioner that the petitioner had applied with the respondent/Election Commission of India (hereinafter ‘ECI’) for registration of a political party as far back as 19th April, 2024. Despite so much time having elapsed and the petitioner having to approach this Court by filing two writ petition