EC freezes AIADMK symbol: OPS 'disappointed', says will continue fight
Chennai: Expressing disappointment over the Election Commission of India (ECI) decision to freeze the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) election symbol, former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam said he would raise his voice legally to get back the symbol.
"In spite of having kept strong arguments in front of the Election Commission, we are disappointed by the results. We will continue to raise voice legally to get back our symbol," the Panneerselvam camp said in a statement.
Earlier, AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran, who belongs to former party general secretary V.K. Sasikala's faction, asserted the decision would not affect them in the upcoming R.K. Nagar by-polls.
"We will now take up the issue and I am confident that we will get the symbol back," Dinakaran told media here.
The poll panel decided to freeze the AIADMK election symbol of 'Two Leaves', after representatives of Panneerselvam and former party general secretary V.K. Sasikala factions made their claims for it.
"Neither of the two groups shall be permitted to use the symbol 'Two Leaves' of the AIADMK," the Election Commission stated.
The poll panel also asked both the factions to choose a new symbol to contest the current by-polls in R.K. Nagar.
The Election Commission also allowed both factions a further and final opportunity of adducing documents and affidavits latest by April 17.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sasikala-led AIADMK faction filed a petition before the commission staking claim to the party's symbol.
Panneerselvam-led group had last week claimed that the party symbol rightfully belonged to it as Sasikala's election as the AIADMK general secretary was 'invalid and illegal'.
The tussle over party symbol began in view of the by-elections to the R.K. Nagar assembly constituency in Chennai on April 12. The constituency was held by late former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.
