AIADMK row: EC gives 'hat' symbol to Sasikala faction; Panneerselvam camp gets 'electricity pole'

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday gave different symbols to warring factions of AIADMK. 

The EC allocated 'hat' symbol to V K Sasikala and named the party as AIADMK Amma while O Panneerselvam camp named AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma with symbol of electricity pole.

The Sasikala camp had demanded 'hat' as a symbol instead of ‘Auto Rickshaw’ as the latter was allocated to party earlier. Sasikala's faction had submitted party name "ADMK Amma" along with three options of symbols- Auto, Bat and Cap, to the Election Commission.

#FLASH: Sasikala faction allotted 'hat' symbol with the name AIADMK Amma by Election Commission. pic.twitter.com/XLCyFUoItg

— ANI (@ANI_news) March 23, 2017

Both the factions of the AIADMK had expressed shock on Wednesday over the Election Commission freezing the party's election symbol of 'two leaves' and its name saying they will make all efforts to retrieve it. AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran said he did not expect such an outcome and that he will win the RK Nagar bypoll and get the poll symbol back. 

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam in a statement had said it was "shocking and disappointing" that his party didn't get the symbol despite submitting "strong evidence" to the EC and that they would get it back "at any cost". 

Dinakaran, nephew of jailed AIADMK general secretay VK Sasikala, had said the party workers had "crossed" similar situation in the past, referring to the EC freezing the election symbol post the death of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran in 1987. 

Also Read | AIADMK row: Both Sasikala and OPS factions express shock over EC decision, vow to get 'two leaves' symbol back