TTV Dhinakaran requested Election Commission to allow him to speak about the AIADMK party symbol
Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran today approached the Election Commission, saying the poll panel should hear him before taking any decision on the party's election symbol.
The nephew of jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala approached the Election Commission days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palanaswami joined hands with rival O Panneerselvam to end the bitter feud between the warring factions of the party.
While the two factions joined hands, they made it clear that VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran, who still maintains he is the party deputy general secretary, will have no role to play in party affairs.
AIADMK Karnataka unit chief Pugazhendhi, who supports Mr Dhinakaran, said he submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission this morning, reminding it that VK Sasikala was the principal respondent in the case and her and Mr Dhinakaran's view should be considered before the poll panel takes any decision.
He alleged that letter pad of the AIADMK was being "misused" by factions including the chief minister. "There are chances of factions misguiding the Election Commission. So we want to remind the EC that General Secretary Sasikala Natarajan and TTV Dhinakaran are the main respondents," he said.
The Election Commission had in March issued an interim order freezing the 'two leaves' election symbol of the AIADMK, saying both the rival camps cannot use the party symbol as well as its name for the prestigious RK Nagar assembly bypoll.
While EPS and OPS factions have ended their differences, the symbol issue is likely to continue in the Election Commission for some time as the Sasikala camp is still opposed to the merger.