On Wednesday, the Election Commission officially allotted the two-leaf symbol to the Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) led AIADMK party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Ousted former AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) had petitioned that the EPS-led AIADMK should not be allotted the two-leaf symbol. This is another blow to OPS who has been facing tremendous setbacks in the last two years.
AIADMK is being seen as in a stronger position now since they split with the BJP, and the Lok Sabha elections is predicted as an AIADMK vs DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) fight. AIADMK leaders have been aggressively campaigning across Tamil Nadu and for the first time have directly taken on their former ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In Coimbatore on Wednesday, senior AIADMK leader SP Velumani stated in a public meeting that the BJP should first appoint booth level agents and then challenge the AIADMK. “The BJP is not in the equation itself. No one is bothered about them. You can’t just keep giving interviews on whatsapp and twitter and compete. Can you? How many votes will they get on every street? I’ll just say one thing – first the BJP should appoint booth level agents and then come to compete.”
The AIADMK has formed an alliance with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT) for the April 19 elections.