Chennai: With jailed V. K. Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran failing to secure the Two Leaves symbol, he may do everything within his means to get the ‘hat’ symbol allotted to him earlier this year, to contest again from the RK Nagar Assembly constituency and will perpetrate “corruption” and not ‘MGR legacy” as he had claimed, BJP president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said.
Contending that Dhinakaran might resort to his “old trick of bribing the voters” she urged the Election Commission to freeze the ‘hat’ symbol for this December 21 bypoll and ensure none is allotted this symbol.
Shortly after he obtained the ‘hat’ symbol in March, Dhinakaran had explained the significance of the choice of poll symbol. “The hat,” he said, “is the symbol of party founder M. G. Ramachandran (popular icon of the silver screen in Tamil Nadu).” MGR, as he was popularly known, had donned the hat in many of his movies. This would enable him to easily associated with voters, Dinakaran had insisted.
The April 12 byelection was cancelled by the Election Commission following plaints of large-scale distribution of money and gifts to voters.
As the EC has recognised the united AIADMK under O. Panneerselvam and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami as the “real” party and granted use of the Two Leaves symbol, recently, Dhinakaran has to contest as an independent and has to chose the symbol to be allotted by the EC.
According to sources Dhinakaran is likely to call on his aunt in Bengaluru jail on November 28. For the record, his supporter Thanga Tamilselvan said the TTV faction’s governing council would meet and announce the candidate’s name on November 29.
“He (Dhinakaran) has to contest as an independent. In the event of two candidates seeking the same symbol, the Election Commission will decide the symbol through lot,” CEO Rajesh Lakhoni, said when asked.
