NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has settled the AIADMK symbol row in favour of the group led by Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami and deputy CM O Panneerselvam, citing the overwhelming support it enjoys in the legislative wing and general council of the party.
The EC verdict issued on Thursday acknowledged the EPS-OPS group as the 'real' AIADMK and held that it shall be entitled to use the 'two leaves' poll symbol in all future elections. As per affidavits submitted to EC, EPS-OPS faction has support of 34 Lok Sabha MPs, 8 Rajya Sabha MPs, 111 TN MLAs and 4 Puducherry MLAs.
As for Dhinakaran group, it submitted affidavits from only 3 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs each andandnbsp;20 TN MLAs, of which 18 stand disqualified under the Tenth Schedule.
"The Commission is of the considered opinion that the petitioners group led by Shri E Madhusudhanan, O Panneerselvam and S Semmalai, and also supported presently by the impleading applicant Shri E K Palaniswami, the present Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, enjoys support majority of members, both in the organisational and legislature wings of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Accordingly, said group led by E Madhusudhanan and others is hereby recognised, in terms of para 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which is a recognised State Party in the State of Tamil Nadu and in the Union Territory of Puducherry, for whom the symbol 'Two Leaves' is reserved in the said State and Union Territory," the order stated.
EC has also withdrawn its interim order+ dated March 22, 2017, freezing AIADMK's 'two leaves' symbol and recognising the Panneerselvam and T T V Dhinakaran factions under the new names AIADMK (Puratchi Thailavi Amma) and AIADMK (Amma) respectively and allocating them separate symbols.
This means Dhinakaran group will no longer be able use the AIADMK (Amma) as its party name and will have to register as a fresh party. Since registration of a party takes time, candidate backed by Dhinakaran group will have to fight the upcoming R K Nagar bypoll as an independent or possibly take up name of an already registered party.
The order is a setback not only to led by V K Sasikala-backed Dhinakaran group but also Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar who had joined the dispute by claiming that she was the rightful heir to her aunt's legacy.
The EC order has paved the way for the poll body to announce the R K Nagar assembly bypoll+ . The Madras High Court had earlier ordered EC to conduct the bypoll, cancelled in April this year over large-scale attempts by all parties to bribe voters, by December 30.
A bitter three-way fight for Jayalalithaa's legacy had broken out after her death. Party rivals Palanisamy and Panneerselvam had subsequently sunk their differences and united as one camp around three months ago.
Read ALSO: EC verdict on AIADMK two-leaves symbol: Justice prevailed with blessings of Amma and God, EPS says
The EC verdict issued on Thursday acknowledged the EPS-OPS group as the 'real' AIADMK and held that it shall be entitled to use the 'two leaves' poll symbol in all future elections. As per affidavits submitted to EC, EPS-OPS faction has support of 34 Lok Sabha MPs, 8 Rajya Sabha MPs, 111 TN MLAs and 4 Puducherry MLAs.
As for Dhinakaran group, it submitted affidavits from only 3 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs each andandnbsp;20 TN MLAs, of which 18 stand disqualified under the Tenth Schedule.
AIADMK two-leaves symbol: Centre has influenced EC decision, Dhinakaran says
Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Thursday said the Election Commission of India had failed to act in a free and fair manner in the AIADMK party symbol dispute.
"The Commission is of the considered opinion that the petitioners group led by Shri E Madhusudhanan, O Panneerselvam and S Semmalai, and also supported presently by the impleading applicant Shri E K Palaniswami, the present Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, enjoys support majority of members, both in the organisational and legislature wings of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Accordingly, said group led by E Madhusudhanan and others is hereby recognised, in terms of para 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which is a recognised State Party in the State of Tamil Nadu and in the Union Territory of Puducherry, for whom the symbol 'Two Leaves' is reserved in the said State and Union Territory," the order stated.
EC has also withdrawn its interim order+ dated March 22, 2017, freezing AIADMK's 'two leaves' symbol and recognising the Panneerselvam and T T V Dhinakaran factions under the new names AIADMK (Puratchi Thailavi Amma) and AIADMK (Amma) respectively and allocating them separate symbols.
This means Dhinakaran group will no longer be able use the AIADMK (Amma) as its party name and will have to register as a fresh party. Since registration of a party takes time, candidate backed by Dhinakaran group will have to fight the upcoming R K Nagar bypoll as an independent or possibly take up name of an already registered party.
The order is a setback not only to led by V K Sasikala-backed Dhinakaran group but also Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar who had joined the dispute by claiming that she was the rightful heir to her aunt's legacy.
The EC order has paved the way for the poll body to announce the R K Nagar assembly bypoll+ . The Madras High Court had earlier ordered EC to conduct the bypoll, cancelled in April this year over large-scale attempts by all parties to bribe voters, by December 30.
A bitter three-way fight for Jayalalithaa's legacy had broken out after her death. Party rivals Palanisamy and Panneerselvam had subsequently sunk their differences and united as one camp around three months ago.
Read ALSO: EC verdict on AIADMK two-leaves symbol: Justice prevailed with blessings of Amma and God, EPS says
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