Amid leadership tussle, OPS asks police to stop AIADMK meeting
CHENNAI: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) coordinator, O Panneerselvam on Tuesday wrote to the Avadi Police Commissioner asking him not to allow the party’s general council meeting on June 23 that is likely to decide on a return to single leadership from its present dual leadership.
O Paneerselvam and former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami are occupying positions as coordinator and joint coordinator.
Last week, supporters of Palaniswami began the chorus to go back to single leadership at a meeting in Chennai. The call gained momentum in the past few days and according to senior party functionaries, it has now become increasingly clear that on June 23, a resolution for a unitary leadership may be moved in favour of Palaniswami.
Hectic developments marked the on-going political churn within Tamil Nadu’s main opposition, the AIADMK, over the single leadership issue.
Approaching the police is Panneerselvam’s latest in his series of efforts to get the meeting postponed. In a three-page petition, Panneerselvam stated that there is a possibility of law and order issues due to differences between the two sides.
Earlier in the day, the Madras high court directed the Avadi police to provide protection subject to conditions based on a plea filed by AIADMK’S Tiruvallur district secretary and former minister P Benjamin in which he had said that expelled members and others are likely to create a problem at the meeting.
“EPS has the support of the majority to take over as the leader of the AIADMK. Be it cadres, district secretaries, MLAS or General Council members, all want EPS,” former minister D Jayakumar told reporters. On Monday, Panneerselvam had written to Palaniswami urging him to postpone the meeting citing “extraordinary circumstances”.
“If Edappadi is required in Coimbatore, Panneerselvam is needed in Theni. It would swing towards Palaniswami’s favour but Panneerselvam is also a democratic leader and in this equation we should not bring in Sasikala because she has never proven herself in an election,” said political analyst Raveendran Duraisamy.