Election Commission reserves verdict in Two Leaves case

Chennai: After half a dozen hearing during which heated arguments were witnessed from both sides, the Election Commission of India on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the Two Leaves symbol case keenly awaited in political circles in Tamil Nadu.

While reserving the verdict, the Election Commission directed both petitioners O. Panneerselvam and E. Madhusudhanan and respondents V. K. Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran to file written submissions if they wish to submit by Monday. After going through the submissions, the Election Commission is expected to announce its verdict by the end of next week.

The verdict is keenly awaited in political circles in Tamil Nadu and it would pave the way for conduct of the much-awaited by-elections to R K Nagar constituency in Chennai, which fell vacant due to the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. If the Two Leaves symbol were given to the EPS-OPS faction, it would come as a shot in the arm for the duo that are steering the AIADMK government and infuse greater stability to the dispensation.

The full-bench of the ECI headed by Chief Election Commissioner A. K. Jyoti reserved the verdict after former attorney general of India Mukul Rohatgi completed his arguments on behalf of the EPS-OPS camp. Dhinakaran camp had finished its arguments on Monday after which the case was adjourned to Wednesday.

While strongly batting for Two Leaves symbol to be allotted to EPS-OPS side, Rohatgi said only 168 members of the General Council as on December 5, 2016 are with the TTV camp. “The majority of the General Council members are with us. So we should get the symbol,” Rohatgi told the EC, according to sources.
  Speaking to reporters after the verdict was reserved, OPS’ camp leader K P Munusamy expressed the confidence that the Two Leaves symbol will be allotted to them. “We have submitted enough documents to strengthen our argument that majority of the General Council members, legislators and parliamentarians are with us and hence the symbol should be allotted to us,” he said.

During the earlier hearings, the TTV camp had alleged that documents and affidavits filed by the rival side were “fake.”

O. Panneerselvam and E Madhusudhanan had filed the case after they rebelled against the then interim general secretary V. K. Sasikala staking claim for the Two Leaves symbol. As the EPS and OPS factions merged, Dhinakaran knocked at the doors of the Election Commission asking it not to pass any orders without hearing their side.

Both the factions have staked claim to the Two Leaves symbol, which holds sway over people from different generation since it is associated with the charisma of late MGR.

This is the second time in 29 years that rival claims over Two Leaves symbol has reached the EC. In the aftermath of MGR’s death in 1987, the AIADMK split into two factions – J Jayalalithaa and V N Janaki – and since both the groups staked claim over the symbol, the Election Commission kept it under freeze and allotted new symbol for both factions. Later, the symbol was defreezed.