CHENNAI: The Election Commission’s Friday verdict recognising Bihar CM Nitish Kumar-led faction as the real Janata Dal (U) party has raised hopes in the ruling AIADMK faction here. The main basis of the Commission’s ruling is that the Nitish Kumar faction has the support of the majority among the legislative and party members.
“We hope that the EC will apply the same yardstick (as applied to JD-U) to the AIADMK too in the Two Leaves symbol dispute and will allot the symbol to the ruling faction led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam,” former MP KC Palaniswamy, who was the first to move the EC on January 6 questioning the validity of the appointment of VK Sasikala as the general secretary of the AIADMK, told Express.
“The principle of test of majority support in the organisational and legislative wings, as upheld by the Supreme Court in the case of Sadiq Ali vs Election Commission of lndia & others and consistently applied by the Commission in all such cases in the past, will apply in the facts and circumstances of the case relating to JD(U),” the Commission said in its order on Friday.
The observation by Commission at a time when the ‘Two Leaves case’ verdict is expected anytime may have led to such expectations in ruling AIADMK camp, but political observers are divided on the issue.
Palaniswamy said, “After the merger of two factions, the general council had revoked the appointment of Sasikala as the general secretary as it violated the party bylaw. The general council also accepted Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam as authorities for signing forms A and B. Therefore, they should be given the party name and symbol.”
Putting forth a different scenario that might emerge, political analyst Tharasu Shyam told Express, “The EC could take into account the ‘change of circumstances’ that took place in the AIADMK. It depends on how the EC views the whole thing. So, the final order of the EC may go in any direction; the Two Leaves symbol may be frozen permanently citing various reasons.”
Raja Senthoor Pandian, counsel for the Sasikala faction, categorically said that the EC cannot draw a parallel between the Two Leaves symbol dispute and the JD (U) symbol dispute. In the JD (U) case, the EC has decided solely on the basis of the SC verdict in Sadiq Ali case. But that would not apply to the AIADMK’s symbol case as the constitutions of both parties are entirely different and also the constitution of the AIADMK is unique on as it gives power to the primary members of the party for electing its general secretary