EPS to keep his date: OPS Plays Spoilsport

Dispelling any misconceptions about holding the AIADMK general council meeting on Thursday as scheduled, former Chief Minister and party Co-Cordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) hinted that it would be held as scheduled. Even as two petitions – one in the High Court and the other in a civil court - seeking a stay on the meet - are coming up for hearing on Wednesday, hectic preparations are underway at the venue on the outskirts of Chennai. Meanwhile, a desperate O Panneerselvam, party Coordinator, whose dwindling support base witnessed further erosion, has termed as illegal the holding of the GC and urged the police not to grant permission to hold the meet for which the police is all set to deploy 2500 personnel for security, writes ETV Bharat's MC Rajan.

Chennai( Tamil Nadu): Left to fight for himself with only a handful of senior functionaries behind him, AIADMK Coordinator and former Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, desperate to hold on to his position, has approached the police not to permit the holding of the party general council on Thursday. Describing the meet as illegal, he said it is being organised in violation of the rules and regulations governing the party.

In an effort to stall the coronation of Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as the General Secretary, OPS has written to the Police Commissioner, Avadi, under whose jurisdiction the venue comes, to deny permission for the GC meeting taking into consideration the prevailing 'abnormal' situation and confusion among the party faithful as well as in the interest of public order. Not content with this, the OPS camp is also planning to meet the EC to lay claim on the AIADMK's iconic 'Two Leaves' symbol.

With this, the turf war in the AIADMK has taken a new turn and it appears OPS is fighting a losing battle since more and more functionaries have deserted him. For him, the writing is on the wall. As of now, he has the support of only 9 of the 75 district secretaries and two of the 66 MLAs, besides himself. Others have declared their loyalty to Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).

Even as OPS has approached the police to stop the GC as scheduled, the police, on a direction from Madras High Court, following a petition from the EPS camp, is all set to deploy 2500 uniformed personnel for security around the venue at Vanagaram on the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway. It is the chosen venue for party jamborees during the time of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

Earlier in the day, EPS, addressing the IT wing of the party, said “the efforts of those attempting to weaken the AIADMK will not succeed. The party has no history of being brought to its knees.” This is seen as a veiled reference to OPS who has refused to yield ground despite several emissaries trying to reason him out. According to sources in the EPS camp, OPS was offered to remain either as Coordinator or as party Presidium Chairman and give way for EPS to be the sole leader as General Secretary.

Even the BJP, on which OPS was banking for support, has not come forth to bail him out. Interestingly, BJP vice-president and party legislature group leader, Nainar Nagendran had supported the demand for a single leadership. “The AIADMK requires single and capable leadership,” he told reporters in Tirunelveli. Nagendran is a former AIADMK strongman and a former minister. Apparently, the saffron party which was initially wary of taking sides, has now decided to lean in favour of EPS.

The diarchy – dual leadership – worked out in 2017 to facilitate the merger of the OPS faction, has come unstuck and the leadership crisis facing the AIADMK might be settled at the GC and it depends on the outcome of the two court cases. However, the EPS camp is hopeful of a favourable verdict.