Chennai: Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) was elected as the interim general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Monday at the controversial general council meeting, called by the leader to deliberate on the single leadership issue in the party.
Ahead of the meeting, dramatic scenes had unfolded near the AIADMK headquarters, as a scuffle broke out between the supporters of party leaders EPS and rival O. Panneerselvam (OPS) early morning. Over 10 people have been injured in the violence, ThePrint has learnt.
At around 12.30 pm, revenue officials arrived at the headquarters to seal the office, citing it as a “disputed” property.
The AIADMK general council members also voted unanimously to expel OPS and two senior leaders in his camp from the party, even as OPS, speaking to the media at the AIADMK headquarters, declared that EPS and K.P. Munusamy were being sacked from the party’s primary membership.
During the meeting, currently underway, the council scrapped the posts of party coordinator and co-coordinator — an innovative concept of dual leadership put in place to keep the ranks united after party chief J. Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016
OPS and EPS were coordinator and co-coordinator of the AIADMK, respectively.
Earlier in the day, in the petition put forward by OPS to stall the meeting called by EPS, the Madras High Court allowed the general council meeting to go ahead at around 9 am. Counsels representing EPS told reporters: “The Court has allowed all proceedings to go ahead.”
“Several leaders spoke multiple times to OPS and tried to convince him to bring about single leadership in the AIADMK. We faced a lot of trouble because of the dual leadership,” said EPS, speaking at the meeting.
The AIADMK also sought a Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, for the late Jayalalithaa.
AIADMK Banners with images of Edappadi K. Palaniswami destroyed by O. Panneerselvam’s supporters | Credit: Sowmiya Ashok, ThePrint
The leadership issue which has plagued the party for weeks spilt on to the streets as supporters of both factions clashed and pelted stones, damaging some vehicles parked in the area in the process.
Munusamy condemned the violence at the party headquarters in Royapettah, around 15 km away.
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An appeal for ‘unitary leadership’
Supporters of OPS broke open the door of the party office early Monday, shouting slogans, even destroying pictures of EPS on party banners.
With the Madras HC allowing the meeting, the EPS faction within the AIADMK has gotten the better of OPS in a battle for supremacy.
EPS was appealing to return to the “unitary leadership” system by changing the bylaws of the party, by which Jayalalithaa had been appointed “eternal general secretary” after her death, and the dual leadership system introduced, in 2017.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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