Chennai, Jun 24 (IANS): AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Minister CVe Shanmugham on Friday said that the post of Coordinator and Co-coordinator have ceased to exist in the party after Thursday's General Council meeting.
He said that the amendments in the bylaws that facilitated the election to these posts were not validated by the General Council.
Shanmugham, who is a close associate of former Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, told reporters that as of now O. Panneerselvam (OPS) is the party Treasurer and Palaniswami the party Headquarters Secretary. Panneerselvam was Coordinator while Palaniswmi was the co-Coordinator until a bitter power struggle broke out in the opposition party for unified leadership.
The former Law Minister cited party rules and laws as he rejected claims by the OPS faction that the General Council meeting was illegal.
He asked OPS faction leader R. Vaithalingam whether he questioned the signature of "then Coordinator", Panneerselvam who had called the General Council meeting, along with the "then Co-coordinator", Palaniswami.
He also said that the General Council meeting has the authority to elect the Presidium Chairman and the Election Commission's approval was not required for party appointments but only that such appointments had to be intimated to the Election Commission.
His response was to questions whether Panneerselvam will be raising a complaint with the Election Commission on the validity of the General Council meeting.
Shanmugham also said that the election of A. Tamilmagan Hussain as the party's Presidium Chairman was valid as he was elected by the General Council, adding that Hussain had the authority to call the General Council meeting on July 11.
Shanmugham also said that the General Council was the supreme body of the party and its members have all the rights to make or amend laws.
He added that 2,190 members of the General Council have requested the Presidium Chairman to call a General Council meeting on July 11 and that this was valid.
The AIADMK is in a bitter power struggle with the faction close to Palaniswami emerging stronger over Panneerselvam. Panneerselvam and his close associates including former minister Vaithalingam faced heckling at the General Council meeting hall at Vengaram on Thursday. Some participants even threw mineral water bottles at them.