AIADMK leader Dinakaran booked for trying to 'bribe' EC official over party symbol

Dinakaran was the candidate of the AIADMK's Sasikala faction. Photo: PTI

CHENNAI: AIADMK deputy General Secretary T.T.V. Dinakaran, a nephew of jailed party chief V.K. Sasikala, was on Monday booked for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official. Dinakaran was booked by Delhi Police for trying to bribe an EC official with crores of rupees to get the AIADMK's disputed and now frozen "two leaves" poll symbol. An FIR was filed against him after his close aide Sukesh Chandrasekar was arrested from a Delhi hotel on Sunday. The police was probing Chandrasekhar's links with Election Commission officials. "It has been learnt that Sukesh had struck a deal for Rs 50 crore for helping the AIADMK faction to keep the 'two leaves' symbol. Police have recovered Rs 1.30 crore from Sukesh. Two cars -- a BMW and a Mercedes -- have also been seized," PTI quoted a senior police officer as saying. Meanwhile, Dinakaran rejected allegations against him and said he didn't bribe anybody. He also denied reports of a revolt against him by some ministers as a planned campaign of lies. "I have already told you, there is no rift. The other day, ministers had only come to wish me for the Tamil New Year. This (issue) has been going on that after the bypoll I would be removed. There is no such move. This is a planned campaign of lies," PTI quoted him as saying. Dinakaran was the candidate of the Sasikala faction. After two factions led by General Secretsy VK Sasikala and former TN chief minister O Panneerselvam staked claim, the EC had decided to freeze AIADMK's poll symbol. Scheduled for April 12, the EC had cancelled bypoll to the R K Nagar constituency after it noted that the electoral process was seriously vitiated by praties through usage of money power. RK Nagar was the constituency of the former chief minister Jayalalithaa and the bypoll was necessitated following her demise on December 5. The bypoll is being viewed as a battle of prestige for the two factions of the AIADMK.