Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Jul 11: Edappadi K Palaniswami, also known as EPS was elevated as the interim general secretary of AIADMK putting an end to the present dual-leadership model in Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party.

After the rival leader O Panneerselvam or OPS was expelled for 'anti-party' activities, the General Council with over 2,500 members empowered EPS to steer the party as a single supreme leader. His supporters R Vaithilingam and P H Manoj Pandian were also expelled from the AIADMK.

The AIADMK General Council cited difficulty in decision-making and discontentment among party cadre while scrapping the posts of Coordinator and Joint Coordinator, held by O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami respectively. Under the dual leadership, the AIADMK had suffered three successive poll defeats.

However, refusing to accept the decision, Edappady K Palaniswami and some senior party leaders including, K P Munusamy, accused OPS of siding with the DMK regime and working to weaken the AIADMK. Responding to his expulsion, O Panneerselvam said he was elected as the coordinator by '1.5 crore' party workers and that neither EPS nor another leader had the right to expel him.

The General Council meeting chaired by presidium chairman A Tamil Mahan Hussain commenced at around 9.15 am after a go-ahead from the Madras High Court. The plea was filed in the court by O Panneerselvam seeking a stay on the meeting called by the faction led by Edappady K Palaniswami.

In the meeting, the party formally resolved to hold organisational polls in 4 months to elect general secretary. It has amended several bylaws, which include fresh norms to fight for the top party position.

One of the norms says only a person with 10-year primary membership of the party can contest the polls.

Earlier, supporters of both factions were seen on camera throwing stones at each other outside the party headquarters in Chennai this morning ahead of the high court verdict. Visuals also showed some people damaging vehicles parked nearby.

The OPS camp had contended before the court that only the coordinator and the joint coordinator can convene the meeting as per law. And this meeting called by the newly-appointed presidium chairman is technically illegal. OPS had also claimed that the invite for the meeting was unsigned.

However, team EPS argued that dual leadership is no longer in force as the previous meeting held on June 23 did not ratify the election of both leaders, and hence the presidium chairman convening the meeting, and the office-bearers sending invites is legal.

Last week, the Supreme Court permitted team EPS to convene the meeting in accordance with the law. While EPS wanted singular leadership, OPS wanted the present dual leadership model to continue.

Jayalalithaa had twice handpicked OPS to be her stand-in-chief minister when she had to step down following her conviction. Though OPS was elevated for the third time just before she died, Jayalalithaa's aide VK Sasikala, who briefly took over the party, replaced him with EPS after he rebelled against her.

She announced EPS as chief minister before she went to jail in the disproportionate assets case in which Jayalalithaa was the prime accused.