The Madras High Court on Monday rejected a PIL against AIADMK. The court wanted  Election Commission to verify the authenticity of thumb impression of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa which was attached to the nomination papers of AIADMK for the 19 November polls.

"In our view, it is for the ECI to verify the authenticity of the papers so far as the assignment of scrutiny is concerned and if there are any infirmities in the election process which make the election capable of being challenged that is a matter of election petition," the court ruled.

The PIL was filed by social activist Traffic K Ramaswamy. The court said, "noting that the election symbols had already been allocated, it was not correct to intervene in the matter and rejected the PIL."

AIADMK candidates in Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thirupparankundram assembly parts had filed Forms A and B, needed under the symbols order rules, with the left thumb impression of Jayalalithaa. The CM has been in a hospital since 22 September due to ill health.

Her thumb impression was attached along with a government doctor's note stating that Jayalalithaa had an 'inflamed right hand'.

The petitioner had disputed that taking the thumb impression alternative of the signature was a total breach of the election system and tried to claim it as illegal and ultra vires of the Constitution.

The matter came up for hearing on Monday. The Additional Solicitor General, who arrived on behalf of the EC, gave a 27 October statement directed to the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer, defining the method for attestation of the thumb impression.

In reply to a description by the AIADMK for providing thumb impression of Jayalalithaa in the forms, the EC had defined medical officer of any government hospital as the officer before whom the thumb impression may be attached and who may attest such thumb impression.

The ASG more proposed that such an attestation had been done and the nomination papers listed. Recording the assent, the court said "the petitioner was not a contesting candidate in the election but seeks to obligate himself such kind of general public scrutiny merely because in various PILs he had been entertained."

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BY M. DIVYA SRI