Chennai: Disallowing neither warring factions of the AIADMK led by VK Sasikala and O Panneerselvam to claim the symbol, the election commission of India has struck a blow to the Sasikala-led group as it targets a win in the RK Nagar constituency made vacant after the death of J Jayalalithaa.
For the OPS segment of the party in the wilderness after a trust vote that led to the Sasikala faction forming the government, this is a victory.
In its press release announcing the Interim Order, the Election Commission said: "Neither of the aforesaid two groups shall also be permitted to use the symbol ‘Two Leaves’, reserved for ‘All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’;
TTV Dinakaran, nephew of VK Sasikala and the Deputy General Secretary of the arty said: "This is a temporary set back for us. We'll approach the court soon,We'll get back the symbol by legal means."
Earlier, Dinakaran had vowed that he will contest only on the Two Leaves Symbol. Sources in the OPS faction said they development it is encouraging and a setback to the ruling establishment at the AIADMK.
Electoral symbols, as was seen in Uttar Pradesh just of the elections, play a vital role in electoral outcomes. Significantly, the Two Leaves was frozen in 1989 after MY Ramachandran's death. The Jayalalaithaa and Janaki MGR factions fought bitterly for the Symbol. Jayalalithaa emerged victorious. Clearly, a case of history repeating itself in Tamil Nadu.
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