 "New names and symbols: 'Hat' for Sasikala's AIADMK Amma and 'electric pole' for OPS' AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma")
The Election Commission on Thursday announced its decision to allot ‘hat’ and ’electric pole’ party symbols to VK Sasikala faction and O Panneerselvam camp respectively. The EC assigned ‘AIADMK Amma’ as the new party name to the Sasikala faction while Panneerselvam camp got ‘AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma’, reported NDTV.
#FLASH: Sasikala faction allotted 'hat' symbol with the name AIADMK Amma by Election Commission. pic.twitter.com/XLCyFUoItg
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2017
#NewsAlert | O Panneerselvam led faction of AIADMK named 'Amma AIADMK', gets electric pole as party symbol
— News18 (@CNNnews18) March 23, 2017
This is a news alert. More details to follow. #JustIn #NDTVNews pic.twitter.com/OxolWNt1eS
— NDTV (@ndtv) March 23, 2017
Sasikala faction had earlier on Thursday submitted to the EC ‘ADMK Amma’ as the new name of their party along with an option of three symbols after the poll panel in an interim order late Wednesday night froze the ’two leaves’ poll symbol of Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK. The commission also decided that neither of the two factions will use the party’s name.
V. K. Sasikala's faction submits party name "ADMK Amma" along with 3 options of symbols- Auto, Bat and Cap, to Election Commission pic.twitter.com/F2n47tyRt4
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2017
In a statement on Wednesday night, Panneerselvam said: “Despite placing before the EC strong arguments, it is sad we were not able to get the ’two leaves’ symbol.” Panneerselvam said the symbol will be retrieved through legal means. Similarly, AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran told reporters that legal recourse to de-freeze the party symbol would be looked into. M Thambidurai of the Sasikala faction said on Thursday that the hat symbol is only temporary and they will continue with their efforts to stake claim to the ’two leaves’ symbol.
This hat symbol is temporary, two leaves symbol is going to come back to us: M. Thambidurai, Senior leader from Sasikala camp pic.twitter.com/IrVB6G7bjt
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2017
The ruling AIADMK is divided into two factions. The ruling faction is led by the now jailed general secretary VK Sasikala while the other is headed by Panneerselvam. The allotment of the symbol is important as election will be held on 12 April to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from the Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency, which was represented by the late J Jayalalithaa. Dinakaran will be contesting in RK Nagar on behalf of the ruling party. The Panneerselvam faction has fielded E Madhusudanan. In an interim order on Wednesday night, the EC froze the ’two leaves’ symbol of the now divided AIADMK and decided that neither of the factions will use the party’s name. The panel said both groups shall be known by such names as they may choose showing, if they so desire, linkage with their parent party — AIADMK. Both the groups shall be allotted different symbols from a list of free symbols notified by the poll body for the purposes of the current by-election. With inputs from IANS
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