The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed Anna YSR Congress Party's plea seeking derecognition of YSR Congress Party for using the abbreviation 'YSR'. Justice Prateek Jalan said that when Anna YSR Congress party was seeking registration as a political entity it was well aware that YSR Congress Party was already registered and used the acronym 'YSR'. "At the time when the petitioner sought registration as a political party with the name Anna YSR Congress Party, it was well aware that Respondent No. 2 (YSR Congress Party) was already registered as political party and uses an abbreviation which includes the term 'YSR'.
"It is at that stage that the petitioner, if it had apprehended that any confusion would ensue from the names adopted by the petitioner and Respondent No. 2, could either have modified its own proposed name, or sought clarity as to the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in this regard," the court said.
Having failed to take any steps at that time and registering its name also with YSR acronym, the petitioner cannot raise a grievance at this stage, the court said. "The petitioner has clearly and knowingly accepted this state of affairs at the time of its registration," it added.
The court also noted, in its judgement, that ECI was only concerned with the official names of the parties and not the abbreviated names. It also noted that in the instant case there were no sufficient grounds for the ECI to exercise its exceptional powers to deregister a political party.
"For the reasons aforesaid, the petitioner's case in this writ petition is entirely unmerited. The writ petition, along with the pending application, is therefore dismissed," the court said. The Anna YSR Congress Party, in its plea, had opposed the use of the acronym YSR Congress Party in the letterheads of the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh.
The Anna YSR had contended that the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led party was registered in the name of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party and alleged that it is illegally using the letterheads with the acronym of YSR Congress Party.