Election Commission freezes AIADMK symbol

A battle has been raging between the O Panneerselvam and Sasikala factions for the AIADMK party symbol. The issue of VK Sasikala’s appointment as the interim general secretary of the party was not included in the hearing and the primary issue was the allotment of the symbol to either of the groups. 

In its order, the Election Commission said, “(a) Neither of the two groups led by the petitioners (Shri E. Madhusudhanan, Shri O Panneerselvam and Shri S. Semmalai) and the respondents (Smt. VK Sasikala and Shri TTV Dhinakaran) shall be permitted to use the name of the party ‘All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.’ 

(b) Neither of the aforesaid two groups shall also be permitted to use the symbol ‘Two Leaves’, reserved for ‘All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’; 

(c) Both the groups shall be known by such names as they may choose for their respective groups, showing, if they so desire, linkage with their parent party ‘All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’; 

and (d) Both the groups shall also be allotted such different symbols as they may choose from the list of free symbols notified by the Election Commission for the purposes of the current by-election. 

The Commission heard the camps led by Sasikala and Panneerselvam. Both the camps had hired legal heavyweights like former Law Ministers M Veerappa Moily and Salman Khurshid, former Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran, senior advocates CS Vaidyanathan, G Krishnakumar and B Srinivasan. 

“We will take the legal route to get back the party symbol and fight it out in the High Court or the Supreme Court. I will file the nomination on Thursday and seek a new symbol and am very confident of scoring a resounding victory in the April 12 by-election. In whatever symbol I contest, I am sure the people of R K Nagar will ensure my victory,” says TTV Dinakaran.