EC registers Dhinakaran-led AMMK as a political party

The Election Commission has registered the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), an outfit floated by AIADMK rebel T T V Dhinakaran, as a political party, but it will not be allotted an exclusive symbol for contesting elections.

The letter informing Dhinakaran, the General Secretary of the AMMK, about the acceptance of his application seeking registration of the party has been signed by Dilip K Verma, Secretary of the Election Commission.

Dhinakaran is the general secretary, while his trusted lieutenant P Vetrivel has been named the treasurer of the AMMK.

While the AMMK has been registered, the party cannot stake a claim for an exclusive symbol. But it will get a common symbol from the list of free symbols if the AMMK contests more than 5 per cent of seats that goes to polls, the EC letter reads.

Dhinakaran, whose AMMK bit the dust in the April Lok Sabha and assembly by-elections, had moved the EC seeking registration of the party. However, Dhinakaran and his faction haven’t given up their claim over parent party, AIADMK, as their leader V K Sasikala continues to wage a legal battle over her “illegal” removal as general secretary of the party in September 2017.

Though AMMK fielded candidates in all 40 Lok Sabha and 19 assembly seats that went to bypolls on April 18 in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the outfit had to knock at the doors of the Supreme Court seeking a common symbol. Though the court ordered a common symbol (gift packet), the party was not able to open its account.

With the EC’s communication, the AMMK can contest the local body polls to be held on December 27 and 30 which could pose a challenge to the ruling AIADMK in few pockets.

Dhinakaran, who was handpicked by Sasikala to lead the AIADMK after she was convicted in the disproportionate assets (DA) case, was removed from the party in September 2017 after then warring factions led by Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam waved green flags and came together. Sasikala was also removed as an “interim” general secretary.

Dhinakaran, who had the support of 18 MLAs, won the R K Nagar by-elections in December 2017 but could not recreate his magic in the 2019 elections.