Two separate petitions were filed before the Election Commission of India on Tuesday seeking to prevent the Chennai chief electoral officer from accepting nomination forms for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections signed on behalf of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, according to people aware of the matter and documents seen by HT.
The move comes amid an ongoing leadership dispute that has paralysed the party since former chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s death, with rival factions led by O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami locked in a bitter power struggle.
AIADMK leader VA Pugazhendi filed the first petition, arguing that no faction is currently authorised to sign forms on the party’s behalf. In his petition, received by the ECI and seen by HT, Pugazhendi cited the Erode East Assembly by-election in 2023 as the last instance when an interim arrangement was made for the party’s “two leaves” symbol.
“As per the directions of the Madras High Court and the orders of the Delhi High Court, the ECI’s inquiry is underway,” Pugazhendi stated. “I have urged that the ‘two leaves’ symbol not be allotted to any faction until pending civil suits are resolved, as per Supreme Court directions. It is very clear that no one can set up a candidate on behalf of the AIADMK.”
The Election Commission has scheduled biennial polls for June 19 to fill six Rajya Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and two in Assam, following the retirement of sitting members on June 14 and June 24 respectively.
The AIADMK’s crisis deepened after a controversial general council meeting on July 11, 2022, during which constitutional amendments were made and Palaniswami was elected general secretary. The meeting’s validity has been challenged in the Chennai Civil Court, with various factions questioning its legitimacy.
In February this year, the Madras High Court vacated its stay on the Election Commission, allowing it to proceed with an inquiry into whether a dispute exists over the “two leaves” symbol before determining which faction represents the party.
A second petition by S Surya Moorthi, an AIADMK memberand petitioner in the Madras High Court case, argued that the AIADMK has split into several factions and warned of significant legal complications if candidates nominated by Palaniswami succeed in the Rajya Sabha elections.
“If the civil court’s verdict comes in our favour, EPS will have to disqualify the successful candidates who submitted nomination forms. This will have a major impact on the party’s growth,” Moorthi stated in his May 27 petition submitted via email.
He argued that given the ongoing legal proceedings, it would be prudent to withhold decisions regarding symbol allocation until all matters are resolved.