Rival AIADMK factions submit new names, symbols to Election Commission

NEW DELHI: A day after the Election Commission barred the rival AIADMK factions from using the party name and symbol in the R K Nagar bypoll, the two camps submitted new names and symbols to the poll panel to contest the election.

According to party sources, the EC accepted the request of the Sasikala camp that it be allotted "hat" as its symbol. The faction will contest as AIADMK (Amma).

The O Panneerselvam camp will use the 'electric pole' as its symbol and will be called AIADMK (Puratchithalaivi Amma).

The poll panel had last night said that both the 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 RK Nagar.

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