Leadership crisis forces AIADMK candidates to contest without party symbol in local body polls

The ongoing leadership crisis in the AIADMK has forced the party's candidates to contest without the party's symbol in the upcoming local body bypolls.

The party cadres of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) will contest as independent candidates in the upcoming local body bypolls. This comes after the cadres could not file their nominations on time under the party’s twin leaves symbol amidst the tussle between Edapadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and O Panneerselvam (OPS).

The ongoing tussle between EPS and OPS over the party’s leadership agenda cost the cadres the party’s symbol after they refused to sign the required forms for the filing of nominations. The last day for the party cadres to submit the form to the state Election Commission (EC) was on Monday.

OPS had written a letter to EPS on Wednesday, addressing him as Joint Coordinator and asked him to send the forms so he could sign them. The EPS team had refused to give in to his demand.

Including OPS’s signature on the nomination papers would have meant that EPS approves the leadership-sharing structure which he wishes to bring an end to.

There are a total of 510 local body seats slated for bypolls.