The Election Commission on Friday decided to keep the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party name and its two-leaves symbol frozen until the two factions laying claim to them ironed out their differences. The Election Commission has given both factions, one led by VK Sasikala and the other by O Panneerselvam, time until June 16 to submit documents supporting their claim.

“The Commission has considered the requests of both the groups and has decided to give extension of time till June 16,” an order issued on Thursday said. The Commission had on March 23 issued an interim order freezing the election symbol of AIADMK, saying both the rival camps cannot use the party symbol as well as its name for the prestigious RK Nagar Assembly bye-poll.

The bye-election, which was necessitated after the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, was supposed to be held on April 12 but was cancelled after allegations of politicians bribing voters surfaced.

Meanwhile, a seven-member committee of the AIADMK-Amma faction, led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, will hold merger talks with the O Panneerselvam-led camp. The decision was made at a meeting headed by Palaniswami on Friday, a day after the OPS group demanded that AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala and her nephew and Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran be formally removed from the party for the two sides to unite.