The Kerala High Court on Friday approved the Election Commission's decision to allocate the Kerala Congress (M)'s official symbol of "two leaves" to the faction led by Jose K Mani for the three-phased local body polls due next month.

The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by senior Kerala Congress leader PJ Joseph challenging the Election Commission's order recognising the Jose K Mani faction as the official Kerala Congress (M) and allotting the party's symbol to it. Justice N Nagaresh said the conclusions arrived at by the Election Commission were based on materials available before the Election Commission.

The Court cannot, in exercise of the jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, interfere with the said finding of fact,' the court said.

In a majority verdict, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra had held that the Jose K Mani faction was the Kerala Congress (Mani) and entitled to use its name and its reserved symbol Two Leaves' for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

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