O Panneerselvam Moves Election Commission Terming AIADMK Meet 'Illegal'

Panneerselvam hit out at the EPS camp for trying to push him out of the position of AIADMK coordinator.

AIADMK's O Panneerselvam hit out at the rival Edappadi K Palaniswami camp, saying that that the party cadres are on his side.

(Photo: PTI)

Amid the ongoing fight between the two factions in All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu, O Panneerselvam has appealed to the Election Commission (EC) stating the party meeting held on Monday, 27 June, was not valid.

In a nine-page memorandum to the EC, Panneerselvam said that the proposed general council meeting scheduled for 11 July cannot be valid as he, the coordinator of the party, did not sanction permission.

Panneerselvam also stated that amendments were made to party bylaws on 1 December 2021 that created the posts of coordinator and Joint coordinator of the party. Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami were elected unopposed and the tenure of the posts was five years.

Speculations are rife that party coordinator Panneerselvam might be sacked or expelled.

‘O Panneerselvam Is the Symbol of Betrayal'

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Former AIADMK Minister D Jayakumar told reporters on Monday, "O Panneerselvam is the symbol of betrayal."

His name was removed from the founders' column on the masthead of party mouthpiece (Tamil daily-Namadhu Amma).

When questioned about the future of OPS in the party, he refused to divulge many details and said, "Whether or not he will continue as treasurer will be decided by the General Council members."

Earlier in the day, Panneerselvam hit out at the rival Palaniswami camp, saying that that the party cadres are on his side. He also asserted that the meeting of the office bearers of the AIADMK on Monday, 27 June, that the party’s head office is in violation of the rules.

“I would like to inform all the party workers that if any decision is taken at the above meeting convened outside the party legal framework it will not in any way restrict the party who are under the administration of the party coordinator and the party co-coordinator,” he said in a statement.

Contradicting his claims on the validity of the meet, Jayakumar said that the meet was convened by Presidium Chairman Tamilmagan Hussain based on the request of state-level office-bearers. The meet was in conformity with party by-laws, he said.

There is internal friction within the party, as Palaniswami, the party's joint coordinator wants to move for single leadership, which means Panneerselvam will lose his position as the number one of the AIADMK.

'Party Workers on My Side,' Claims Palaniswami

This comes just days after the AIADMK leader staged a walkout at the party's general council meeting over the "single leadership" demand in favour of party joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Panneerselvam was at his native district Theni over the weekend where he consulted with his supporters. “Without any discussion, AIADMK's C Ve Shanmugam announced that all the 23 proposed resolutions were rejected in the 23 June General Council meeting and a demand was made with respect to single leadership,” he told reporters on Sunday.

He said that the people of Tamil Nadu and party cadre would teach a fitting lesson and punish those who were behind the 'web of conspiracy,' and for being responsible for the current 'extraordinary situation' in the party.