AIADMK war: Here is why the ECI froze the symbol

Now both the O Panneerselvam and Sasikala Natarajan factions will have to choose new symbols and fight the R K Nagar by-elections on April 12.

On Wednesday in a late night interim order, the Election Commission of India froze the AIADMK's two leaves symbol. It was hearing contesting claims by the Sasikala and O Panneerselvam faction for the symbol. As a result, both factions will have to choose new symbols and fight the R K Nagar by-elections on April 12.

[Election Commission's order on AIADMK symbol row]

It was somewhat clear since Wednesday after that the EC would order freezing of the symbol. For the EC to go through such voluminous documents was not easy considering the arguments lasted for over 6 hours. The EC made it clear that it was humanly impossible to go through so many documents and records and deliver an order. Hence it passed an interim order until the documents could be perused in detail.

The EC said," "No one would grudge the fact that it is almost humanly impossible to study all the aforesaid records running into more than 20,000 pages (submitted just a day earlier)." Before coming to a definite finding or conclusion, one would have to analyse the arguments advanced by the two sides in detail. The EC also said that it did not want to rush to any conclusion that may be erroneous.

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