Two leaves symbol case: Dhinakaran seeks 3 weeks to submit additional affidavit
CHENNAI: Rebel AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Tuesday wrote to Election Commission seeking three weeks’ time to file additional affidavits on the two leaves symbol case.
Election Commission had last week set September 29 as the deadline for submitting documents to support their claims.
Election Commission officials said they received the letter from Dhinakaran on Tuesday evening, but no decision has been taken so far.
In his letter, Dhinakaran sought extension of time arguing that it is a time consuming process to secure affidavits from leaders of the party affirming their support to his faction. The Dhinakaran faction had asked EC not to decide on the “Two Leaves” symbol case without hearing their side.
If Dhinakaran’s request is accepted, the Election Commission will have to defer the final hearing in the matter which has been scheduled for October 6.
In notices sent to deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, AIADMK presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan, ousted general secretary and deputy general secretary V.K. Sasikala and Dhinakaran last week, EC had asked them to file their replies or affidavits by September 29.
Panneerselvam and Madhusudhanan had filed petition with the EC seeking to allot Two Leaves symbol for them which was opposed by the Sasikala faction that led to freezing of the symbol.
With the Madurai Bench of the Madras high court asking the EC to dispose of all petitions by October 31, the poll body asked all concerned to give their replies in hard and soft copies by September 29.
With EPS and OPS camps merging rival TTV faction filed a petition before the EC asking it not to decide on the case without hearing them. The EC, in the notice, also asked them to submit the list of general council members as on December 5, 2016 when J Jayalalithaa died.
The hearing assumes significance in the wake of the EPS - OPS camp passing a resolution in General Council last week removing Sasikala from the post of interim General Secretary. It also removed Dhinakaran from the primary membership of the party.
