Following another round of hearing on the AIADMK symbol dispute, the Election Commission on Monday adjourned the proceedings for Wednesday.
During a three-hour-long hearing, the V.K. Sasikala/T.T.V. Dhinakaran faction sought the Commission’s ruling on its plea for cross-examination of some members who had filed affidavits in support of the OPS-EPS combine. The petitioners opposed it, reiterating that it was an attempt to drag the proceedings. The Commission was reportedly of the view that the argument on merits should also continue, along with that on the issue of cross-examination.
November 10 deadline
The EC has to decide the case by November 10, as directed by the Supreme Court. Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and senior advocates C.S. Vaidyanathan, K.V. Vishwanathan, Guru Krishna Kumar and P.H. Manoj Pandian are appearing for the OPS-EPS combine. Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Vijay Hansaria represented the Sasikala-Dhinakaran group. They submitted that some persons, who had filed affidavits in support of the petitioners, needed to be examined as they complained that they had not filed those documents.
They raised the appointment of Sasikala as the party’s interim general secretary and Mr. Dhinakaran as deputy general secretary.