Chennai: The Election Commission today denied to give cooker symbol to TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK).
It may be recalled that the Supreme Court has summoned EC officials to explain if the AMMK party headed by TTV Dinakaran could be allotted the cooker symbol.
Dinakaran had moved the Supreme Court seeking direction from EC to allow his party to use the pressure cooker symbol for the Thiruvarur bypoll.
When the petition came up for hearing today, the EC submitted a reply stating that they cannot give cooker symbol to AMMK. Following which, the Judges posted the hearing for tomorrow.
It is to be noted that Dhinakaran won the by-election held in R K Nagar Assembly constituency in December 2017 under the ‘pressure cooker’ symbol with a margin of over 40,000 votes.
Meanwhile, TTV Dhinakaran had expressed confidence that his fledgling party will surprise everyone by winning majority of Tamilnadu seats in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. He said that his part will extend support to a secular front.
“Our support will only be for a secular front. Congress alone need not be a secular party. Even Mamta Banerjee, Mayawati are secular leaders. People are keen to have a change in government at the centre and state. Only a regional party like AMMK will be able to fulfil the aspirations of Tamilnadu,” he said.
The AMMK is contesting 38 of the 39 seats in the state and has allotted Chennai Central constituency to its ally Social Democratic Party of India. Dhinakaran released separate manifestos for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. In his manifesto, the party has proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, farm loan waivers, phased prohibition.