Chennai: The principal opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu has scrapped its dual leadership posts of coordinator and co-coordinator, restoring the single leadership. In the party’s general council meeting held on the outskirts of Chennai this morning, former chief minister Edappadi Palaniswamy was selected as its interim general secretary, effectively removing his rival faction leader Mr O.Panneerselvam from the leadership position.
The general body has resolved to hold an election for the general secretary post within four months. Its resolution says strong unitary leadership is essential for the smooth functioning of the party and its revival.
The party general council meeting today was held, as the Madras High Court gave the go-ahead this morning.
After the demise of the party’s leader J.Jayalalithaa in December 2016, the party split into two factions led by the two former chief ministers Edappadi Palaniswamy and O.Panneerselvam. As a patch-up measure between the two factions, in the general council meeting in September 2017, late Jayalalithaa was named the party’s permanent general secretary, Mr O.Panneerselvam as the party coordinator, and Mr Palaniswamy as the co-coordinator.
However, the voice for a single leadership has been growing in the party. The unitary leadership idea was vehemently opposed by Mr O.Panneerselvam.
Meanwhile, within the city, the supporters of Mr O.Panneerselvam and Mr Edappadi Palaniswamy clashed in the party headquarters, leading to the arrest of a few. Mr O.Panneerselvam did not attend the general council meeting, he confined himself within the party headquarters for a long time.
AIR correspondent reports that after the anointing of Mr Edappadi Palaniswamy as then AIADMK interim general secretary, the party general council in a special resolution removed his rival faction leader O.Panneerselvam and three of his key supporters from the primary membership of the party. In a tit-for-tat move, Mr O.Panneerselvam told the reporters from the party headquarters that no one has the power to remove him from the party post and said he removed Mr Edappadi Palaniswamy from the party. After Mr Panneerselvam left the party headquarters, the revenue department officials sealed the party office and were given security cover by the police. The sealing is seemingly to avoid further escalation of hostilities within the campus in the ongoing fratricidal war in the party.
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