Image credit : Illustrative Image

The Election commission has not maintained neutrality while deciding on the Two Leaves symbol, the deposed AIADMK Deputy General Secretary, T.T.V Dinakaran, said on Thursday.

The Commission had frozen the symbol on the petition by O. Panneerselvam with 12 MLAs and not followed the Supreme Court judgment on Sadiq Ali case, Dinakaran told reporters at Salem.

However, in this case the Commission has followed the judgment, thus not remaining neutral, he pointed out, adding that the incumbent Chief Election Commissioner has served as Chief Secretary in Gujarat.

Since the Sadiq Ali case judgment was not applicable to AIADMK symbol case, he will approach the Supreme Court against the decision, DInakaran said. “This is clear that the Commission is functioning according to diktats of Central Government,” Dinakaran alleged.

Why the Commission has not given the symbol to his faction, which has the support of 122 MLAs and 37 MPs then, but froze it based on Panneerselvam’s petition, he asked.

Stating that the Two Leaves symbol has now become a “garland in the hands of monkeys”, he claimed that 99 per cent party workers and people of Tamil Nadu are with him.

With this decision, it was evident that Edappadi Palaniswami has the support of 111 MLAs and Government has no majority, he said.

Dinakaran said that he will contest the R.K. Nagar bypoll and after winning, he will retrieve the party symbol.