CHENNAI: With the Supreme Court deadline to the Election Commission of India (ECI) for taking a final decision on AIADMK’s Two Leaves symbol dispute to end on November 10, the Commission has scheduled the fourth hearing on the issue on Monday.
Hoping that the symbol will be allotted to them, K P Munusamy, Manoj Pandiyan and Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan, belonging to O Panneerselvam and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami faction, left for New Delhi on Sunday.
Similarly, disqualified MLAs Thanga Tamilselvan, V Senthil Balaji, P Palaniappan and E A Rathina Sabhapathy are also to participate in the EC hearing, representing the T T V Dhinakaran faction.
Both factions of AIADMK are keeping their fingers crossed as the Commission is expected to announce its final order on the symbol dispute in a few days. So far, the OPS-EPS faction has submitted about 1,300 documents contending that a majority of MLAs, MPs and general council members are supporting them. On October 23, during the third hearing, lawyers for the Dhinakaran faction sought the ECI’s permission to cross-examine a few persons, who they alleged had submitted fake documents. They also demanded more time to file their submissions.
The ECI refused to grant more time and adjourned further hearing on October 30.
The AIADMK symbol and party name were frozen by ECI in March after the O Panneerselvam camp staked claim to it against the V K Sasikala camp that was them backing the chief minister.
On August 22, two factions led by EPS and OPS merged, sidelining jailed general secretary Sasikala and deputy general secretary Dhinakaran. They also filed revised submissions claiming the symbol.
In August, the Madurai Bench of Madras HC directed ECI to resolve the symbol dispute by October 30, while disposing of a petition by an AIADMK member. Followed by this, the ECI held three hearings on October 6, 13 and 23. On October 6, when petitions pertaining to AIADMK symbol came up, the Supreme Court ordered that the final decision on the symbol should be taken by November 10.
The third hearing
During the third hearing, lawyers for TTV faction sought the ECI’s permission to cross examine a few persons, who allegedly submitted fake documents. They also sought more time to file submissions. ECI refused to grant more time.