AIADMK GC meet backs single leadership demand, favours EPS as leader

The General Council members of the AIADMK on Thursday rejected all the 23 proposed resolutions and announced that their sole demand was to introduce a system of a single leadership for the party, favouring joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Upset over the decision, a dejected O Panneerselvam, the party’s coordinator walked out of the General Council meeting.

As soon as the meet commenced amid chaotic scenes of slogan shouting, the process of passage of already decided resolutions were taken up.

The first of them was proposed by coordinator O Panneerselvam and seconded by Palaniswami, who addressed the former as ‘brother’ in his brief remarks.

Soon, senior leader C Ve Shanmugam, who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, announced that all resolutions “are rejected by the General Council.”

Deputy Secretary K P Munusamy said all the GC members have rejected all the 23 proposed resolutions.

Also Read: Madras HC restrains AIADMK general council from taking call on single leadership

“Their one and only demand is for a single leadership.” When such a resolution favouring a single leadership (favouring EPS) is taken up and passed, all other resolutions would be adopted as and when the GC is convened in future,” he added.

As EPS was honoured with a decorated crown, a sword and sceptre by supporters amid chants favouring him, OPS along with his supporters including deputy secretary R Vaithilingam moved out of the hall and left the premises.

The meeting lasted for 40 minutes. B Valarmathi, a senior office-bearer and a former minister sung a song from party founder M G Ramachandran’s movie and said, a leader will emerge apparently hailing EPS.

The GC meet, which stuck to the one and only demand of making EPS the supreme party leader, turned out to be a full show of strength of the Palaniswami camp with OPS followers heavily outnumbered.

OPS, as Panneerselvam is known, was seated close to EPS on the dais when the GC burst into the single leadership chorus. The party announced that the GC would again meet on July 11.

Earlier, acting on a plea by OPS, a special division bench of the Madras High Court, in a midnight hearing, had restrained the General Council from taking any decision on single leadership.

(With inputs from agencies)