CHENNAI: “History has repeated itself. We have come across such experience already. We will take a decision on moving High Court or Supreme Court soon,” T T V Dhinakaran told mediapersons reacting to the EC’s decision to freeze the Two Leaves symbol.
Asked whether he was shocked by such decision, Dhinakaran said, “We should not get shocked by any such development. We should take it as an experience. In 1989, we redeemed the Two Leaves symbol. Definitely we will win in the legal battle as well as in the election.”
Asserting that he would definitely file his nomination for RK Nagar by-election on Thursday, Dhinakaran said people in RK Nagar would understand that this was a difficult time. “They will vote for me in whatever symbol I contest.” He said freezing of symbol would not cause any impact on the winning prospects of AIADMK in the by-election.
Meanwhile, senior leader C Ponnaiyan, now in the rebel camp, termed it the first victory for their fight to protect the party.
“It is a big setback to Sasikala faction which conspired to take total control of party,” said Ponnaiyan, asserting that the 1.5 crore party workers would back rebel leader O Panneerselvam as the true leader.
Free symbols
For the RK Nagar by-poll, both groups can choose from the list of free symbols notified by the Election Commission. “They may indicate the names of three free symbols, in the order of their preference, anyone of which may be allotted to their candidates by the commission.” This, too, should be intimated by 10 am, the EC order added.
Further, both groups are allowed a final opportunity of adducing all such documents and affidavits on which they propose to rely on their respective claims, latest by April 17, added the commission.
This is after nearly three decades that the AIADMK symbol is being frozen. Following the death of late Chief Minister and AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran in December 1987, the EC had taken a similar decision in 1988. In 1989 Assembly elections, the AIADMK was split into two factions - one led by J Jayalalithaa and another led by Janaki Ramachandran, wife of MGR.
The EC said though the respondents contended that there was no split and it was only a matter of dissent, the commission held that based on the documents filed and the oral submissions, there were two rival groups in the party led by E Madhusudhanan and VK Sasikala.