Setback for Sasikala, Panneerselvam, Election Commission freezes AIADMK's poll symbol ‘Two Leaves’

Delhi/Chennai: In a major development, the Election Commission on Wednesday said that neither of the rival factions (O Panneerselvam and VK Sasikala) shall be permitted to use the symbol ‘Two Leaves’ of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for the prestigious RK Nagar Assembly bypoll.

It also said that 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.

The EC issued an interim order saying, "Neither of the two groups shall be permitted to use AIADMK name. Both groups shall also be allotted such different symbols as they may choose from list of free symbols for current bypoll in RK Nagar."

"Both groups are allowed a further and final opportunity of adducing documents and affidavits latest by April 17th, 2017," the poll panel added, as per ANI.

After a day-long hearing here, the commission said since there is little time available with it to issue a final order, it is issuing an interim one.

Tomorrow is the last date to file nominations for the April 12 bypoll.

Reacting to the news, TTV Dinakaran (Sasikala faction) said, "We will now take up the issue and I am confident that we will get the symbol back."

"There will be no impact of this in the upcoming RK Nagar bypoll," he further said. 

The fight over the AIADMK's election symbol between its rival factions had today reached the EC where both sides staked claim to it ahead of the prestigious bypoll necessitated by J Jayalalithaa's demise.

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.

At the outset, the commission had asked the two sides to restrict their arguments on the symbol issue alone and not to bring in the appointment of Sasikala as the interim general secretary.

The Panneerselvam camp claimed that since Sasikala is only an interim general secretary, she cannot allot party symbol of 'two leaves' to any candidate contesting the RK Nagar Assembly bypoll which was necessitated by the demise of Jayalalithaa, as per PTI.

It claimed that only the party's presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan can allot the symbol.

It said that Sasikala's election was violative of the party constitution as she was chosen by the general council of the party and not the primary members.

The Sasikala camp maintained that after the demise of MG Ramachandran, late Jayalalithaa too was appointed an interim general secretary to run the party affairs.

It also claimed that Panneerselvam and Madhusudhanan had earlier supported Sasikala's elevation as interim general secretary and now they were opposing the same before the commission.

The OPS camp has announced E Madhusudhanan's name as its candidate for the bypoll in RK Nagar.

Dinakaran, AIADMK deputy general secretary and nephew of Sasikala, is the candidate of the other camp.

(With Agency inputs)