Chennai: The AIADMK on Monday expelled rival leader and treasurer O Panneerselvam (OPS) from the party after its General Council members demanded action against him. A meeting of the AIADMK's General Council(GC) picked Palaniswami, 68, as its supreme leader and vested in him full powers amid a prolonged internal power struggle shortly after the Madras High Court rejected Panneerselvam's plea to stay the meeting of the rival faction.
Ahead of the GC meeting in a marriage hall, violence involving the supporters of Palaniswami (EPS) and Panneerselvam (OPS), who are bitter rivals, broke out in and around the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai after which the premises was sealed by authorities. Some people also reportedly sustained injuries.
The AIADMK, which endorsed a resolution scrapping the erstwhile top two positions of Coordinator and Joint Coordinator held by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami respectively, has strived hard to maintain unity after the death of its supremo and chief minister Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016.
In a counter move, Panneerselvam "expelled" Palaniswamy from the primary membership party. Both Palaniswami and the 71-year-old Panneerselvam are former chief ministers. Panneerselvam had also stood in for Jayalalithaa as chief minister on three occasions and was a trusted loyalist of the late leader.
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The AIADMK also formally resolved to hold organisational polls in four months to elect a General Secretary. It has amended several bylaws which includes fresh norms and prerequisites to fight for the top party post. At the same time V K Sasikala, confidante of Jayalalithaa, is staking claim to the late leader's legacy.
Dramatically, she declared that both Panneerselvam and Palaniswami were mere 'shadows' while she is the 'truth', meaning she is the real leader. In his speech at the party meet, Palaniswami said the unitary leadership was in response to the will of the party workers and people even as "we were pushed to protect" AIADMK with such a step.
He also launched a blistering criticism of OPS, calling him 'selfish' and alleged that the former party Coordinator orchestrated the attack on the AIADMK headquarters in collusion with the ruling DMK. The DMK dismissed the charges, saying it had nothing to with the affairs of the opposition party.
Meanwhile ahead of today's court's ruling supporters of the EPS and OPS factions clashed on the streets of Chennai. Some people were injured in the clash. OPS supporter, Kolathur District Secretary, Krishnamurthy got hit by a stone thrown by EPS supporters at the party headquarters. The supporters of OPS and EPS pelted stones against each other and also burnt posters and banners ahead of the meeting. OPS supporters protested outside AIADMK's headquarters in Royapettah.
Visuals showed OPS supporters hitting E Palaniswami's photo with slippers. Some OPS supporters were seen breaking open the door of the AIADMK office. Meanwhile, hours after the expulsion of O Panneerselvam, the AIDMK changed the profile picture of its official Twitter handle with a photo of EPS having Jayalalithaa in the background.
Panneerselvam told reporters he was elected as Coordinator by "1.5 crore" party workers and that neither Palaniswami nor another leader K P Munusamy had the right to expel him. Condemning the two for expelling him "unilaterally" and against party rules, Panneerselvam said, "I expel them from primary membership(of the AIADMK)".Responding to reporters' queries on the next course of action, the former chief minister said he would approach the courts with the support of party workers and secure justice. (with Agency inputs)