The VK Sasikala faction, represented by her nephew TTV Dinakaran will  have to choose a poll symbol and party name.

The options are a cricket bat, an auto-rickshaw or scissors. Dinakaran also wants his faction to be called as AIADMK (Amma)

The Election Commission on Wednesday decided to freeze the AIADMK's "two leaves" election symbol, after representatives from both VK Sasikala and O Panneerselvam camps made their claim for it.

The two factions of Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK have been asked to submit new symbols and names after the Election Commission said neither can use the party's name or "two leaves" symbol in a key by-election for J Jayalalithaa's constituency.


The EC has given both factions time till 10am on Thursday to choose new symbols to contest the crucial R K Nagar bypoll.

It further remarked that it needs more time to read the voluminous documents submitted by both factions.

Last week, the Panneerselvam camp had submitted a petition to the EC requesting allotment of the "two leaves' party symbol to it. A delegation from the Sasikala camp led by party leader and Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai had also submitted a memorandum to the poll panel requesting "not to entertain" any claim to the AIADMK symbol from the OPS faction. 

The factions, led by VK Sasikala and rebel O Panneerselvam, are both fighting for the RK Nagar seat that fell vacant after the death of Jayalalithaa in December. The by-polls will be held on April 12.

Meanwhile, superstar Rajinikanth has said he supports none of the candidates in the upcoming bypolls even as he met Tamil composer and BJP candidate Gangai Amaran yesterday and wished him success in the by-election.


Image: Venkat Prabhu, Amarans son and also a filmmaker, tweeted this picture of Rajinikanth with his father, a BJP candidate.