In a setback for TTV Dhinakaran faction, the Election Commission rejected its plea requesting additional time to file affidavits in the Two-leaves symbol case. The commission has made this clear that the hearing in the case will restart as scheduled on October 6.
EC officials said that Dhinakaran faction had sought 15 days’ time to file documents and affidavits in the case.
Earlier, representatives of ousted AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran had approached the Election Commission urging it to declare as invalid the party’s general council meeting in which his aunt VK Sasikala was removed as general secretary.
This followed after the party's merged factions under E Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam declared late chief minister J Jayalalithaa as AIADMK's permanent general secretary and annulled the appointment of VK Sasikala as interim general secretary.
The poll panel has fixed a deadline of 29 September for all factions of the party laying claim to the symbol to submit affidavits from primary members to prove their strength.
The commission has made this clear that it needs to look into the position as existing at the stage and has given a deadline to the two groups to make written submission and to file supporting documents.
Earlier, this month, the Madras High Court had directed the Commission to decide before October 31 the matter relating to the AIADMK symbol. After scrutinizing the documents, the poll panel has to decide which faction enjoyed majority in the ruling party in Tamil Nadu.
The poll watchdog had in March issued an interim order freezing the ’Two leaves’ symbol of the AIADMK. It had said that the rival factions cannot use the party symbol as well as its name for the R K Nagar assembly bypoll. Thereafter, the EPS and OPS factions ended their differences even as the Sasikala camp is still opposed to the merger.