AIADMK two leaves symbol issue: Madras HC directs EC to decide before October 31

Chennai: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday directed the Election Commission to decide which faction of the AIADMK will get two leaves symbol before October 31.

The Election Commission had on March 23 issued an interim order freezing the two leaves election symbol of AIADMK, saying both the camps (VK Sasikala and O Panneerselvam factions) cannot use the party symbol as well as its name for the RK Nagar Assembly bypoll.

However, since then the southern state has witnessed many political developments.

In August, Panneerselvam and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami joined hands.

The Panneerselvam-Palaniswami camp on September 12 sacked jailed VK Sasikala as interim chief and made its late supremo Jayalalithaa the party's "eternal general secretary", sparking fresh confrontation with rebel leader Dhinakaran who vowed to bring down the government.

Dhinakaran was also ousted from the post of AIADMK deputy chief.

Following the death of J Jayalalithaa, rival factions (Paneerselvam and Dhinakaran) had approached the commission seeking the "Two Leaves" symbol for contesting the RK Nagar Assembly by-election in April which was countermanded following allegations of use of money power to influence the outcome.

In the by-election, the Panneerselvam faction was recognised as AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) and the Dinakaran faction was recognised as AIADMK (Amma).

However, in a dramatic turn of events, the factions led by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami came together in a bid to isolate Sasikala and Dinakaran after declaring that their nomination to the posts of general secretary and deputy general secretary was invalid.