Even while charging the Election Commission (EC) of acting in a partisan manner in allotting the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol to the unified AIADMK led by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, sidelined leader T. T. V. Dhinakaran said that his faction will move the Supreme Court contesting the Commission’s order.
Speaking to reporters in the city here on Thursday evening, Mr. Dhinakaran said that the EC, though an autonomous body, did not act independently. He alleged that the Centre was behind the EC’s decision favouring the ruling AIADMK faction.
Mr. Dhinakaran disputed the observation of the EC that it relied on Justice Sadiq Ali’s judgment and allotted the symbol to the ruling faction as it enjoyed the support of 111 MLAs and a majority of the MPs.
He said that the AIADMK (Amma) faction enjoyed the support of 122 MLAs and 37 MPs way back in February this year. But the EC, ignoring this fact, took the decision to freeze the two leaves symbol before the R. K. Nagar byelection, following representation made by the Panneerselvam-led AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma), which had the backing of only 12 MLAs. Then the EC had comfortably ignored Justice Sadiq Ali’s judgment and frozen the symbol, he alleged.
Pointing out that Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Jyoti was a former Chief Secretary of Gujarat, he said he would not rule out Centre’s hand in the present order favouring the ruling AIADMK faction. Mr. Dhinakaran claimed that 99% of the party cadre and the people of the State were backing his faction.
“We will move the Supreme Court and retrieve the Two Leaves symbol,” he said.
Mr. Dhinakaran said that he would also take up the issue with the Governor.
The ruling faction would not be able to achieve anything worthwhile with the two leaves symbol, he claimed. “It [the symbol] will be like a garland in the hands of a monkey ( korangu kaiyil poomalai ),” he added.
