Cooker symbol: AIADMK gets ready for fresh battle with TTV

With the ruling party threatening to take the legal route against Dinakaran getting the ‘Pressure Cooker symbol,’ he had ensured that a stay is not granted without hearing his side. The RK Nagar MLA is gearing up to launch a new party from Melur in Madurai on March 15 on the day when his arch rival O Panneerselvam is to unveil the state budget. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar had already stated that the party would look for legal avenues to block Dinakaran from getting the ‘Pressure cooker’ symbol and a new party name that resembled the AIADMK. 

Even while maintaining that Dinakaran’s party could not make an impact in the local body elections, the AIADMK functionaries feel that he should not have a common symbol in the local body poll which could be held in May. 

One of the AIADMK functionaries said, “We are not afraid that Dinakaran will win more wards than us. But, he could split the party votes in the local body elections and can help the DMK nominees win. Our legal team is working to file a petition in the Supreme Court to prevent the possibility of Dinakaran using a party flag or symbol similar to that of the AIADMK, since it will confuse the voters. Besides, a party without recognition need not be allocated a separate symbol.” 

In another case, the AIADMK government had submitted in the Supreme Court that local body elections could be held only in May since the school examinations are going on. If the Supreme Court stayed the Delhi High Court order, the ruling party can avoid taking on ‘Pressure Cooker’ till the petition is decided. If Dinakaran is unable to obtain an order before the local body elections, the ruling party can comfortably face the civic polls since the RK Nagar MLA will be without a common symbol.  

However, an unfazed Dinakaran is going ahead with the preparations for party launch and held discussions with his aunt VK Sasikala at Bengaluru prison along with other relatives including the brothers of Sasikala’s husband M Natarajan.  His supporters expressed confidence that the Supreme Court is unlikely to stay the symbol since the AIADMK do not have the locus standi to challenge the allocation of ‘Pressure Cooker’ symbol as the ruling party could not claim itself to be an aggrieved party.