Election Commission freezes AIADMK symbol

Both factions of the AIADMK will now have to fight the R K Nagar bypoll on different symbols.

Chennai, March 22: After a bitter fight between Pannerselvam and Sasikala Natarajan factions of the AIADMK over the party's symbol, the election commission chose to freeze the AIADMK's two leaves symbol.

In a late night verdict on Wednesday, the election commission decided to freeze the contended symbol and asked candidates of both factions to contest the upcoming R K Nagar bypolls on a different symbol. The election commission held that an order cannot be passed without deciding on Sasikala Natarajan's appointment as AIADMK's interim general secretary.

"We are yet to get a copy of the election commission's verdict. We have been advised to get our candidate's nominations filed at 11 AM tomorrow. We will be able to tell you more tomorrow morning," said O Panneerselvam camp's Mafoi Pandiarajan speaking to the media after the election commission's verdict.

"This is only a temporary order. We will continue our fight for the party symbol. Ours in the real AIADMK. There will be no change in plans to file nominations. I will file my nomination on Thursday as announced earlier," said Sasikala camp's candidate TTV Dinakaran.

Both candidates will be provided with an option of three symbols to choose from. The parties will have to make a choice and appraise the election commission of the same before 10 AM on Thursday. Tomorrow being the last day to file nominations for the April 12 bypoll in R K Nagar, candidates will have to now contest under other symbols.

The party's symbol has been frozen for the second time in 27 years. The election commission had frozen the symbol following a split in the party after the founder, M G Ramachandran's death in 1987. The then factions were led by M G Ramachandran's widow Janaki and J Jayalalithaa. Both had fought elections under different symbols following the election commission's decision.

The election commission on Thursday heard arguments by senior Counsel Salman Khurshid representing Sasikala Natarajan's camp and senior counsel C S Vaidyanathan representing the O Panneerselvam camp. Both factions had staked claim to the party's symbol deeming their camp the 'real AIADMK'. TTV DInakaran is the candidate from Sasikala's camp and E Madhusudhanan is the candidate from the O Panneerselvam camp.

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