A new political party, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), has a problem: the pressure cooker symbol, on which its founder T.T.V. Dinakaran won handsomely in the Assembly byelection in R.K. Nagar in north Chennai in 2017, has been allocated to independents. Besides, in three of the 19 Assembly constituencies where byelections are being held, independents with the same name as the AMMK candidate are in the contest.
It is clear that the AMMK is giving nightmares to the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The AMMK’s Harur (reserved Assembly constituency) candidate’s name is R. Murugesan. The independent who got the pressure cooker symbol is named P. Murugesan.
In nearby Pappireddipatti in Dharmapuri district, it is the same story: D.K. Rajendran, the AMMK candidate is contesting on the Gift Box symbol, which has been given to all AMMK candidates (who have been considered as independents forming a separate group). His namesake-independent, C. Rajendran, has been allotted the pressure cooker symbol that the AMMK had popularised.
In Tiruvarur in Central Tamil Nadu, where the vacancy was caused by the death of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, the AMMK candidate, S. Kamaraj, will fight on the Gift Box symbol while his namesake-independent, B. Kamaraj, will fight on the pressure cooker symbol.
In almost all constituencies, the pressure cooker has had many takers. Dinakaran was initially given the hat symbol when the R.K. Nagar byelection was announced in April 2017. The byelection was postponed because of complaints of widespread distribution of money. By the time the election was announced again, a great deal had changed with the AIADMK—Dinakaran was no longer in the party and had floated his own outfit.
The Election Commission denied Dinakaran the hat symbol and, instead, allotted him the pressure cooker. His partymen made sure that the independent candidate won the seat with a record margin and made history. The AMMK again requested the Election Commission to allot the pressure cooker to the party for the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the Assembly byelections. The E.C. refused, and Dinakaran went to court.
In its submissions before the Supreme Court, the E.C. refused to even allot a common symbol to those contesting under the umbrella of the AMMK on the grounds that it was not a registered political party. There are precedents to the contrary. In 2018, Zoram Thar in Mizoram, a group that called itself a political party, was allotted a common symbol.
Dinakaran’s challenge now is to ensure that the Gift Box is popularised across all constituencies where he has put up candidates.
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