Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan on Friday said the Election Commission had re-allotted the ‘Battery Torch’ symbol to the party.
The party had contested the Lok Sabha poll on the ‘Battery Torch’ symbol but was denied the same for the upcoming Assembly election. It approached the Madras High Court seeking its intervention in the matter.
In a short video message posted on his social media pages, Mr. Haasan said: “In 234 Assembly constituencies, Makkal Needhi Maiam has been allotted the ‘Battery Torch’ symbol.”
Though the party polled around 3.72% votes in the Lok Sabha election, the symbol was allotted to the MGR Makkal Katchi in Tamil Nadu for the Assembly poll. However, in Puducherry, the party was given the ‘Battery Torch’ symbol.
Right time
The news is a big relief for senior members in the party who were concerned whether they would be able to popularise the party’s newly allotted symbol.
MNM vice-president R. Mahendran said the reallocation had come at the right time.
“Natural justice has been done. It would have taken so much effort and time to popularise the new symbol. As you know, the ‘Battery Torch’ symbol is known to around 15 lakh people who voted for us. And also to other voters,” he said.
He added that the party would start including the symbol in all its election campaigns from tomorrow.
