Name Thamilar Party Coordinator Seeman says the microphone symbol gives them hope.
Chennai:
Despite the ‘Rising Sun’ and ‘Two Leaves’, this general election to the Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha is about many symbols as some heavyweights are vying for an independent symbol.
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Pannerselvam will contest independently, on the basis of an independent symbol from Ramanathapuram constituency. MDMK headquarters secretary Durai Vaiko will face the elections on the basis of an independent symbol from Trichy constituency.
Similarly, Naam Thamizlar Katchi (NTK), which failed to get the sugarcane farmer as its symbol, is now contesting in all constituencies of Tamil Nadu with the microphone symbol.
Name Thamilar Party Coordinator Seeman says the microphone symbol gives them hope. The NTK is fighting outside the main alliances in the state.
“Even though we did not get our sugarcane farmer symbol, we are fighting with hope in the ‘Mic’ symbol. Many revolutionaries used this equipment to raise their slogans,” said NTK leader Seeman.
TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK will contest the elections with the pressure cooker symbol. The ‘pressure cooker’ is the lucky symbol with which he had won the RK Nagar by-poll after the death of former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalitha amid political drama in Tamil Nadu following the death of former CM Jayalalitha.
For the candidates, it’s about proving their worth on an unknown symbol. O Pannerselvam, who was expelled from the AIADMK, wants to prove that he still has the support of the AIADMK cadres as he seeks victory in the Ramanathapuram constituency.
“Symbol is a way to identify with voters, with their ideology. Regarding DMK we have Rising Sun, it symbolizes that the sun will dispel the darkness of ignorance, darkness of oppression. Every political party will ask for a symbol that signifies their ideology, the DNA of the party, so that is why symbols are important,” said DMK spokesperson Sarvanan.
Meanwhile, DMK ally Vaiko’s MDMK is looking to increase its vote share to ensure it gets a recognized symbol for the next elections. The ECI refused to award the ‘Top’ symbol to MDMK as the party is contesting in only one constituency.
The MDMK was under pressure from the alliance’s big brother DMK to go with the DMK Rising Sun symbol, but Vaiko’s party felt it would be better to choose an independent symbol.
Vaiko’s son Durai Vaiko had failed at a public meeting and said, “We are facing indirect pressure to contest the DMK symbol but that would tarnish the image of our party. Whatever it takes, he would be the independent symbol of their party.”
In the political history of Tamil Nadu, the election symbol is a prestigious subject. When former CM and MDMK founder MG Ramachandran passed away, the AIADMK split. One faction was led by MGR’s wife Janaki and the other by Jayalalitha.
At that time, the AIADMK two-leaf symbol was frozen and Jayalalitha settled on an independent symbol of ‘Two Doves’, while Janaki’s faction got the Seval (Rooster) as its symbol.
To the voter, a multitude of symbols can be confusing, so it is really up to individual leaders to woo their executives to ensure that their symbol prevails.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by WhatsNew2Day staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)