AIADMK splits: EC allots ‘Hat’ to Sasikala, ‘Electric pole’ to OPS

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Thursday allotted the ‘Hat’ symbol to the Sasikala camp of AIADMK, and said the new party would be named AIADMK Amma.

However, in what appears to be a split in the party, the EC also stated that the O Panneerselvam camp would contest using the ‘Electric Pole’ symbol and the party formed by the faction would be called 'AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma'.

On the other hand, the EC had allotted the 'Autorickshaw' symbol to Sasikala camp which had it changed to 'Hat' upon request. The EC had given the Sasikala camp the option of choosing ‘Auto’, ‘Bat’ or ‘Cap’ as its symbol.

The VK Sasikala camp on Thursday told the Election Commission that it wanted to name their faction ‘AIADMK Amma’.

Earlier on Wednesday, the EC had frozen the AIADMK symbol of ‘Two Leaves’ after both the Panneerselvam camp and the Sasikala camp approached it claiming rights to the symbol.

The poll panel had on Wednesday had said that both groups shall be known by such names as they may choose for their respective groups, showing, if they so desire, linkage with their parent party.

"Both the groups will also be allotted such different symbols as they may choose from the list of free symbols notified by the Election Commission," it said.

The bypoll was necessitated following the demise of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa who was elected from RK Nagar.

E Madhusudhanan of the OPS camp today filed his nomination at R K Nagar.

T T V Dinakaran of the Sasikala faction and Maruthu Ganesh of DMK will also be contesting the bypoll.