AIADMK Interim General Secretary E Palaniswamy (or EPS) launched a frontal attack on rival O Panneerselvam (or OPS), who was ousted from the party after an end to the dual leadership system.
“OPS has unleashed violence and taken away party belongings from the office, in league with the DMK government,” EPS alleged. “Police did not give security to the AIADMK headquarters despite pleas. This is proof of the deteriorating law and order.”
This came just after a weeks-long build-up ended with big changes in Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party AIADMK. Scrapping the posts of Coordinator and Joint Coordinator — held by OPS and EPS, respectively — the party General Council with over 2,500 members chose to have one supreme General Secretary. Technically, the post is with EPS only as an interim arrangement until elections are held in four months. OPS and some of his aides have been expelled for "anti-party" activities.
"Anyone can be the General Secretary," EPS announced, adding that OPS did not listen to the demand of the party cadres who wanted one leader." Senior leaders spoke to OPS several times, EPS claimed.
"I know what I went through under the dual leadership," he said. "I have been a loyal party worker, as MLA, MP, minister and chief minister. I was always one among you (party workers), and will be the same. This party is my life."
The two leaders were working under the dual leadership model as per a truce adopted five years ago, when factionalism threatened to break up the party after the death of the then chief minister J Jayalalitha in December 2016. The party since lost power, and infighting got as bad as it was, culminating in EPS's takeover move today.
O Panneerselvam (or OPS) and E Palaniswamy (or EPS) had been working together as there was a fear of the party splintering after J Jayalalitha's death. (File Photo)
OPS had sensed that EPS was moving swiftly towards an endgame. After the previous General Council meeting did not put its stamp on retaining the two-leader setup, OPS went to the Madras High Court, which halted adoption of any "unannounced" resolutions by the party council. But the Supreme Court — on a plea by the EPS faction — removed that halt. OPS went to the High Court again in the hope that the meeting would be stopped. But that did not come through. After that, it was a matter of formality for EPS to take the top post in this meeting that was held today.
The fight in court, though, is likely to drag at least a little further.
Responding to his expulsion, OPS said he was elected as Coordinator by "1.5 crore" party workers and that neither EPS nor another leader had the right to expel him. "I expel them from primary membership," he claimed.
EPS in his speech after the takeover accused the DMK government of being "busy with commission and corruption", and said that OPS's son — OP Raveendran, Lok Sabha member — "gave a 'good' certificate to the DMK government."
"MGR had called DMK an evil force," he said, referring to party founder MG Ramachandran, who was chief minister from 1977 till his death in 1987.
EPS also made a reference to the court battle: "OPS is the only party leader who gives a complaint against his party's general council meet." He accused OPS of having "broken open" the party headquarters to "take away things".
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