EPS designates himself as leader of AIADMK

AIADMK top honcho Edappadi K. Palaniswami staged a coup d’etat on Monday to capture the reins of the political organisation by convening an impromptu meeting of the party’s headquarters office-bearers hours after the present coordinator O. Panneerselvam left for his hometown in Theni and had his name declared as the leader to spearhead the outfit till its next General Council.

By designating himself as the leader of the party till the next General Council (GC) on July 11, Palaniswami had gained an edge over Panneerselvam in running the daily affairs of the party, including the organisation of the crucial GC and taking decisions on whom to invite for it.

The posts of Coordinator, joint coordinator (held by Palaniswami) and other deputy coordinators had expired with the previous GC on June 23 itself, former Minister and prominent Palaniswami acolyte D. Jayakumar told the media after the meeting of headquarters office bearers on Monday, which was not attended by Panneerselvam.

As Coordinator of the party he had not given his nod for the meeting and that the decisions taken there would not be binding on the AIADMK office bearers like Coordinator, joint coordinator and deputy coordinators and also the cadre, Panneerselvam had said in a statement. Though he was scheduled to stay back in Theni and meet his supporters in the next two days, he rushed back to Chennai by taking an afternoon flight from Madurai on Monday and was closeted with his supporters to decide on the next course of action.

Ousted general secretary V.K. Sasikala said that the ‘single leadership’ idea was the right one.