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The dual-leadership model in the AIADMK ended on Monday with the party’s co-coordinator and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) elevated as the interim general secretary. His rival and party’s coordinator O Panneerselvam (OPS) was shown the exit and expelled for ‘anti-party’ activities after EPS’s election at the General Council (GC) meeting.
The day’s action started with the Madras High Court giving a decision in favour of EPS on a petition filed by OPS to stop the meeting.
The council adopted resolutions to revive the general secretary’s post and the election for the same will be held four months from now.
Early in the day, supporters of both EPS and O Paneerselvam were engaged in a tussle at the party’s headquarters. Following this, the police cordoned off the entire place. OPS, along with his supporters staged a dharna, but left later to allow the officials of Revenue administration seal the AIADMK headquarters.
The AIADMK general council adopted a resolution to revive the general secretary’s post and to ensure election of a person for the post by the primary members of the party. This paved the way for EPS to formally become the interim general secretary of the party. Single leadership is the need of the hour to take on the DMK government effectively and to help the party regain power, the resolution said.
Natham R Viswanathan proposed 16 resolutions and urged the GC members to adopt them unanimously, with D Jayakumar seconding the proposal.
Earlier, Justice Krishnan Ramasamy rejected a plea by Panneerselvam to stall the meeting, stating the will of the majority should prevail in a democracy and that courts cannot interfere. The meeting can go on in accordance with law, and a civil suit can be filed if anyone was aggrieved that it was not conducted in accordance with law, the Judge said..
Immediately after the GC meeting, the AIADMK puts out a new profile picture withoutOPS. The picture has Anna, MGR, Jayalalithaa and EPS.
OPS said that he would move the Court over his expulsion. He received support from Jayalalithaa’s close aide VK Sasikala, questioning changes in the AIADMK and OPS’s expulsion from the party.
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