AIADMK (Amma)’s RK Nagar candidate TTV Dhinakaran filed a complaint with the Election Commission against rival faction AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) for manipulating its poll symbol – the electric pole.

Alleging that former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s party had manipulated the electric pole to resemble the now frozen two leaves symbol of the AIADMK, Dhinakaran stated in his complaint that it would confuse people during the election campaign.

Last Wednesday, the Election Commission had frozen the AIADMK’s two leaves symbol and barred the two factions – VK Sasikala and OPS – from using the party name. This after OPS’s faction had staked claim to the two leaves symbol for the upcoming RK Nagar bye-elections.

Following submissions to the EC the next day, Sasikala’s camp was granted the name AIADMK (Amma) and allotted the hat symbol, while OPS’s faction had chosen the name AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) and the electric pole symbol.

Not surprisingly both factions had attempted to appropriate Jayalalithaa’s name and legacy in the respective tiles of their parties. While the electric pole’s resemblance to the frozen two leaves symbol is unmistakable, what has irked Dhinkaran is the use of the colour green in AIADMK (PTA)’s poll symbol, which makes the similarities more obvious.

Incidentally, AIADMK (Amma)’s choice of hat as their election symbol is a tribute to AIADMK founder MGR’s love for the “thoppi”.

Bye-elections to RK Nagar in North Chennai was necessitated following the demise of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The April 12 bye-polls will see a multi-cornered contest with the two factions of the AIADMK, DMK, BJP and Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar in the fray.