Chennai

It also rejected AIADMK’s another objection against AMMK for using the word “Amma” in its name, saying it did not find any merit in that as it was a commonly used word to refer to the mother.

In Tamil Nadu, AIADMK cadre normally refer to former chief minister J Jayalalithaa as “Amma.”

The EC order, signed by its secretary Dilip K Verma, was sent to AMMK general secretary Dhinakaran, the nephew of Jayalalithaa’s friend VK Sasikala.

Dhinakaran won the RK Nagar Assembly constituency in Chennai in a by-election after the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016. Jayalalithaa was elected from the seat earlier.

EC sources said since AMMK had become a registered political party, preference would be given to it in the allotment of symbols among the free symbols during polls. However, it would not be applicable in the forthcoming local bodies polls in Tamil Nadu as it was conducted by the state election department.

On AIADMK’s objection that Dhinakaran was expelled from it and disowned by Jayalalithaa when she was alive and hence he had no locus standi to start a party in her name, the EC said the claim had nothing to do with the eligibility of a party to get registered. The AMMK had cited precedents of political parties with similar names being registered.

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