"He Will Be In Tihar Jail": OPS As Tussle With EPS Returns In Tamil Nadu

The tussle between AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and expelled leader O Panneerselvam has resurfaced in Tamil Nadu politics, with the former on Wednesday daring the latter to "reveal the secrets".

The slugfest took a new turn with both leaders levelling similar charge of the other being confined to prison.

"He (O Panneerselvam) is making baseless accusations against me as he is getting geared up to go to jail. A case against him is likely to come up soon in court and he is sure to be sentenced to jail," Mr Palaniswami told reporters.

Asked to respond to O Panneerselvam's claim on Tuesday that Mr Palaniswami's alleged misdeeds during his tenure as Chief Minister would land him in prison if he divulged "everything," the AIADMK general secretary, in a counter-claim, said that Mr Panneerselvam amassed property in his family's name.

"I know everything because I have been the Chief Minister. He (O Panneerselvam) is attempting to escape by levelling charges at me. But he can't," Mr Palaniswami said.

On a day when E Palaniswami chaired a meeting of the party's general council and executive committee in Chennai, O Panneerselvam, who has been Palaniswami's deputy, said, "If I tell what happened during the AIADMK regime under him, he will have to go to Tihar jail."

The AIADMK general secretary said, "He (O Panneerselvam) claims to be an Amma (Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa) loyalist. He came from nowhere and was suddenly elevated. But I have been in the party from the beginning."

He reiterated that O Panneerselvam had been the chief agent of Vennir Aadai Nirmala who contested against J Jayalalithaa in 1989 from Bodinayakanur. "And he claims he is Amma loyalist! Just imagine," Mr Palaniswami said, adding that none can destroy the AIADMK.

In 2022, Mr Palaniswami piloted crucial changes in the party opposing the dual leadership system of sharing power with O Panneerselvam, who has been putting up a losing battle to retain his position as party's coordinator and treasurer. Mr Panneerselvam and his supporters were eventually ousted from the party.

Mr Panneerselvam, who faced a political setback and lost a court case against Mr Palaniswami, sprung a surprise in Coimbatore saying, "I know everything that he did as Chief Minister. If I reveal that, he will land in Tihar jail."

Speaking to reporters, Mr Panneerselvam claimed that government files moved only if he signed. As deputy Chief Miniter, Mr Panneerselvam held the Finance and Urban Development portfolios then.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)