The Election Commission of India has postponed the next hearing in the ‘Two-Leaves’ poll symbol case to next Monday i.e. 30th October.

EC has been interrogating the concerned parties which are laying claim to the frozen ‘Two-Leaves’ symbol, flag and name of the erstwhile AIADMK, nurtured very well by former Tamil Nadu chief-minister and ‘Puratchithalaivi’ J. Jayalalithaa. Her demise last December split the AIADMK into two with EPS and OPS heading the factions; the factions merged early last month after EPS sidelined jailbirds Sasikala and Dinakaran.

The second spell of interrogation held last Monday witnessed jailbird Dinakaran’s counsel demanding that the symbol be frozen permanently, surprising the EC and other parties. Dinakaran’s counsel also said that the EPS-OPS combine had submitted forged documents/affidavits; the combine denied this and said that Dinakaran, who was once dismissed from the party by late Jayalalithaa, had no right to lay claim to the party’s name, symbol and flag.

After yesterday’s hearing which saw senior counsels Mukul Rohatgi and Abishek Singhvi representing the EPS-OPS combine and jailbird Dinakaran presenting their separate arguments, the EC postponed the next hearing to 30th October (next Monday). Rohatgi later told newsmen that Dinakaran’s side was purposely applying delaying tactics in the case which should be wrapped up by 10th November.