The Election Commission on Thursday issued new party symbols to the two factions of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led by VK Sasikala and O Panneerselvam, a day after it froze the party’s symbol, the two leaves. While the hat symbol was given to the Sasikala camp, the Panneerselvam faction was given the electric pole, ANI reported.
The panel had earlier allotted auto rickshaw symbol to the Sasikala-led group but they asked for the hat instead. The faction had also submitted “AIADMK Amma” as their choice for a new party name, which the Election Commission accepted.
Meanwhile, the OPS camp had submitted Amma AIADMK as their own party’s name, but the poll panel asked them to change it, reported The Hindu. The group was finally given the name AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma.
On Wednesday, the poll panel had barred both the Panneerselvam camp and the Sasikala faction of the party from referring to themselves as the AIADMK and using the party symbol. The Election Commission had said their decision was aimed at placing the “rival groups on even keel to protect their rights and interests”.
The decision came ahead of the by-election to Tamil Nadu’s RK Nagar constituency, which fell vacant after former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s death. OPS on Thursday said E Madhusudanan will file nomination papers to contest from the seat.
Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar had said she will contest the seat, and Sasikala’s nephew TTK Dinakaran was fielded for the constituency by her faction of the AIADMK. The by-poll will be held on April 12, and the results will be out on April 17.
The O Panneerselvam AIADMK camp had claimed last week that since VK Sasikala’s appointment as party general secretary was “invalid and illegal”, the party symbol – the two leaves – belonged to them. Sasikala’s supporters had filed a petition before the commission on Tuesday staking claim on the symbol.
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