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Party says OPS can remain as treasurer
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court gave a reprieve to Palaniswami and the Madras high court adjourned Panneerselvam’s plea (to stall the July 11 AIADMK general council meeting) to Thursday for the production of the apex court’s order.
The door is closing in on once top AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) in the party due to his ongoing tussle with senior party leader Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) over shifting from dual leadership to a single leader.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court gave a reprieve to Palaniswami and the Madras high court adjourned Panneerselvam’s plea (to stall the July 11 AIADMK general council meeting) to Thursday for the production of the apex court’s order.
Since the majority of the party is sided with EPS and the AIADMK announced that he will be chosen as the interim general secretary on July 11, a wounded OPS with very few options left at his disposal has been knocking on the doors of the court.
AIADMK organising secretary C Ponnaiyan told HT that the July 11 party general council meeting will allow OPS to remain as the party’s treasurer. “But it’s in his hands whether or not to accept the new single leadership structure,” Ponnaiyan said.
A day ago, AIADMK spokesperson and former minister D Jayakumar told reporters that the general council will take a decision against a cadre or a leader if they indulge in anti-party activities while replying to a question on whether they will expel OPS.
AIADMK leaders aware of the developments, on condition of anonymity, said OPS was the reason why they decided to abolish dual leadership and moved towards a single leadership. They cited OPS’s praise for the ruling DMK, his son calling on Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin and OPS calling Sasikala innocent in the J Jayalalithaa’s death probe that irked rank and file.
“The AIADMK has to be calling out the DMK’s governance, but OPS was praising Karunanidhi in the state assembly. Then his son goes and meets Stalin, holds a one-hour discussion and then comes out and says Stalin has been governing well for the past year,” a senior AIADMK leader said.
“And then, OPS is the one who called for constituting a committee (retired justice Arumugasamy Commission) to probe Jayalalithaa’s death. Even before the committee could come out with a decision, OPS gave a clean chit to Sasikala. He not just embarrassed himself, but embarrassed the entire AIADMK. The rank and file of the party were extremely irritated. They got provoked. Not EPS’ supporters,” a senior party leader said.
OPS supporter and senior AIADMK leader R Vaithilingam told reporters that they respect the apex court verdict.
Another OPS supporter, seeking anonymity, said: “They (EPS team) may have the support now but shouldn’t be so power hungry because things can turn around anytime.”
Political observers say OPS has the options of staying in the AIADMK in another post to safeguard his son and MP O Ravindran’s political future or quit and float his own party or join the BJP or join forces with EPS’ nemesis Sasikala and her nephew and founder of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam TTV Dhinakaran. During this slugfest, Sasikala has re-activated her political ambitions, and she is on a tour across the state to meet supporters.
Sasikala told reporters on Wednesday that as a fair person when the time’s right, she will go to the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai. “People of Tamil Nadu are watching what is happening in the AIADMK… they know who is acting with selfish interests,” Sasikala said. The general council meeting on July 11 is inappropriate, she said. “I am the general secretary of the AIADMK,” she reiterated.
