TTV Dinakaran, the ousted leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, on Thursday launched his new party, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam. The party is named after Amma, a reference to late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
“We will win all upcoming elections from now by using latest name and party flag,” he said at an event in Madurai district’s Melur town. “We will also try to retrieve the two leaves symbol, till then [we] will use [the] cooker symbol.” His party flag has black, white and red stripes and the image of Jayalalithaa at the centre.
On March 9, the Delhi High Court directed the Election Commission to allot a symbol and a suitable name to the Dinakaran-led AIADMK faction. So far, he had called his camp the AIADMK (Amma). Some of the party names he had suggested in court were All India Amma Anna Dhravidar Munnetra Kazhagam, MGR Amma Dravidar Munnetra Kazhagam and MGR Amma Dhravidar Kazhagam.
The Election Commission had earlier opposed Dinakaran’s plea for AIADMK’s two leaves symbol and told the High Court that only a recognised political party can be allotted a symbol or name. In December, Dinakaran had moved the court after the Election Commission had awarded the two leaves symbol to the AIADMK faction led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam.
Dinakaran told the Delhi High Court on March 9 that he preferred the pressure cooker symbol that he had used during the RK Nagar bye-poll in December. Dinakaran had contested the bye-election as an independent candidate and won the constituency. The bye-poll was necessitated after former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa died in December 2016.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!