The Election Commission on Monday pulled up VK Sasikala’s faction of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for continuing to use the two leaves party symbol on social media. The EC had frozen the party symbol and issued new symbols to both Sasikala’s and O Panneerselvem’s factions of the AIADMK.

The commission has directed them to stop using the two leaves symbol immediately and asked it to explain why it had been using it, by Thursday. Sasikala’s faction, now called AIADMK Amma, had been issued a hat symbol to use for the upcoming by-elections. Former Chief Minister Panneerselvam’s faction, called AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, is using the electric pole symbol that the EC had issued to it. Both groups have been barred from calling themselves the AIADMK for the moment.

By-elections in former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s constituency RK Nagar will be held on April 12. Besides both AIADMK factions, Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar will also be contesting in the by-poll. It will be held on April 12, and the results will be out on April 15.