End of the road for OPS as EC accepts EPS as AIADMK Gen Secy

Chennai: Puncturing the hopes of O Panneerselvam (OPS) in his fight for wresting control of the AIADMK, the Election Commission has accepted Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as the party's General Secretary. On Thursday, the poll body said it has taken on record his elevation as the party supremo disregarding OPS' plea to continue with the dual leadership.

It has come as a rude shock to the OPS camp which is yet to recover from it, while the AIADMK workers celebrated it across the state. In a display of servility, milk abhishekam was performed by an enthusiastic cadre to a portrait of EPS at the AIADMK headquarters at Royapettah in Chennai. Now, for all practical purposes, OPS' legal battle has come to naught, though he might continue the fight despite losing at every forum thus far.

Interestingly, the poll body's decision comes a couple of days after OPS had approached it with a plea to turn down EPS' demand for recognition as the general secretary following his election to the post. It followed the Delhi High Court's direction to the EC to decide on the matter within 10 days. He was elected unopposed as general secretary on March 28, hours after Madras High Court dismissed the plea of OPS to stall the election.

What had gone in favour of EPS were the judgments of the supreme court, Madras High Court, and then Delhi High Court. The poll body has made this clear. In the communique to EPS, the EC said, “the amended rules and regulations of the party and change in the Office Bearer communicated vide your letter under reference have been taken on record.” In another separate communication, the EC had acceded to the request of EPS to have the iconic 'Two Leaves' symbol of the party in the Karnataka election as well. EPS has fielded a candidate in the Pulikesi Nagar seat in Bengaluru city.

Till now, the EC had maintained dual leadership in its records (OPS as Coordinator and EPS as Joint Coordinator for the AIADMK, taking decisions jointly). Despite heading a motley group of supporters, this stand of the EC had given a foothold for OPS in his legal battle. Now, even that has gone. “OPS might challenge this in courts. But, that will not alter the changed scenario in which EPS had emerged as the victor. The party is firmly in the hands of EPS. With the dual leadership having gone, it is EPS who is the sole authority in the party to authorise the party symbol to candidates. OPS had to chart his own course,” says analyst Tharasu Shyam.

For the OPS camp, this could not have come at a time when it is engaged in holding a massive rally at Trichy on April 24. This was planned as his first show of strength and efforts were also on to rope in VK Sasikala, confidant of late Jayalalithaa, and her nephew, TTV Dhinakaran, heading the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK). It was also planned as a platform to project all three, belonging to the OBC Thevar community, and ranged against EPS, being on the same page. Pushed to the corner, will OPS launch his own political party remains to be seen, say analysts.