In a significant development that hints at possible political realignments, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has withdrawn a long-standing civil suit against ousted leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran over the alleged misuse of the AIADMK party flag.The suit, which was filed in 2017, challenged Dhinakaran’s use of a flag for his party—Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK)—that closely resembled the AIADMK’s official flag. On Wednesday, a city civil court in Chennai dismissed the case following EPS’s decision to voluntarily withdraw it.
EPS had originally filed the case claiming that the AMMK flag, bearing a red and black colour scheme with the image of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, was “deceptively similar” to the AIADMK flag. The AIADMK flag, as defined under Rule 4 of its Rules and Regulations, consists of a black upper half and a red lower half, with a white bust of party founder and former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai placed at the centre.
EPS argued that the AIADMK had been using this design since 1972, when the party was founded by M.G. Ramachandran, and that the colours had become closely associated with the party’s identity. By adopting similar colours and adding Jayalalithaa’s image to the flag, Dhinakaran’s AMMK was allegedly attempting to mislead the public and exploit the legacy of the AIADMK, EPS contended in the original suit.
The sudden withdrawal of the case has sparked speculation in political circles, especially coming close on the heels of AIADMK warming up to a renewed alliance with the BJP ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Some observers see this move as an olive branch or part of a broader political strategy as parties begin to recalibrate alliances and rivalries in Tamil Nadu’s dynamic political landscape.
Neither EPS nor Dhinakaran has officially commented on the reasons behind the case withdrawal. However, the decision marks a notable de-escalation in what was once a fierce intra-party feud that led to the splintering of the AIADMK after Jayalalithaa’s death.