With the Election Commission freezing the party's 'two leaves' election symbol and barring both groups from using the party name AIADMK after they staked claim to it, Dinakaran and Madhusudhanan will be contesting the bypoll on their 'hat' and 'electric pole' symbols respectively.
The bypoll is being held to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Jayalalithaa and today is the last day for the filing of nominations.
Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa also filed her nomination for the bypoll representing 'MGR Amma Deepa Peravai', floated by her after the demise of her aunt.
BJP nominee and noted music director Gangai Amaran also filed his nomination today. Opposition DMK's Maruthu Ganesh has already filed his papers.
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Flanked by party supporters wearing 'hats', Dinakaran, nephew of AIADMK interim general secretary V K Sasikala, filed his nomination for the bypoll, seen as a litmus test for both Sasikala and Panneerselvam camps.
Madhusudhanan claimed that people wanted rule of O Panneerselvam in the state as he had been working for their welfare.
"My victory prospects in this election are bright... We are firm in our objective -- it is to fight against family rule in the AIADMK," he told reporters after filing his papers.
Dinakaran, a former MP, said the party symbol had been frozen due to a "conspiracy" and exuded confidence that he would win by a large margin of votes.
Dinakaran said he would take up Jayalalithaa's developmental schemes and assured that the constituency leads by example through its developmental projects.
Madhusudhanan noted that the AIADMK was formed by late M G Ramachandran to fight "family rule" (of M Karunanidhi in DMK) and it was then "taken care of by Amma (Jayalalithaa)".
"Amma did not favour any family rule in the party. She reinstated Sasikala only as an assistant...Even Amma did not reinstate AIADMK Deputy General Secretary T T V Dinakaran or Divakaran or even Sudhakaran into the party," he said.
"Two prominent issues that will be highlighted in the manifesto is to develop the R K Nagar constituency and to solve the mystery behind the death of Amma," he said.
Gangai Amaran was accompanied by senior party functionaries including state BJP chief Tamilisai Sounderrajan.
(REOPENS MDS6)
"It is on expected lines only. The freezing of the
twin-leaves symbol by Election Commission is only because of the factional feud among the AIADMK," she said.
Asked about Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's comments that he supports "no one" in the fray for the by-election, she said the meeting between Gangai Amaran and the actor a few days ago was only to seek the latter's "blessings".
Earlier in the day, Rajinikanth ruled out his support to any party in the bypoll.
"My support is for no one in the coming election," he tweeted.
Rajinikanth's statement came days after Gangai Amaran met him.
Amaran's son Venkat Prabhu had tweeted on March 19 that the actor had wished his father "success" in his political innings during the brief meeting.
"Today our thalaivar @superstarrajini met and wished my dad for his political victory in #RKNagarByElection #happyson #GangaiAmaran," Prabhu has said in a tweet.