Palaniswami faction to bring in single leadership resolution at AIADMK general council meet

Amid the ongoing single and dual leadership row between the two groups of the AIADMK, the party’s joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami’s faction has decided to bring in a special resolution for a single leadership in the rank of general secretary at the party’s general council meeting to be held on June 23.

Multiple sources with whom The Federal spoke to, confirmed that Palaniswami and his faction’s members were firm in bringing in a special resolution at the general council meeting.

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“The resolution would seek for a single leadership in the rank of general secretary. If the resolution has the support of the majority, it would be taken up and the resolution would be passed. It need not have the approval of the coordinator O Panneerselvam. Since we have the majority in the party’s steering committee, high level committee and even in the general council, the resolution will be passed,” an AIADMK functionary close to Palaniswami confirmed.

However, senior members in the Palaniswami’s faction said that they want to bring the resolution in a more harmonious manner without any internal tussle.

“That’s why we are in constant talks with O Panneerselvam. We are in talks with him for an amicable solution. Even if that does not happen, the resolution will be brought up in the general council,” the AIADMK functionary added.

Asked if there would be any legal hurdles in bringing up the single leadership resolution at the general council meeting, Palaniswami’s supporter and former MLA Inbadurai, who is also a lawyer, said that the general council of the party has the highest power and the party’s coordinator Panneerselvam’s consent was not needed to bring up the resolution.

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Earlier, Panneerselvam had claimed that his consent was necessary to bring in and pass any resolution at the general council meeting.

Speaking to The Federal, AIADMK’s spokesperson Vaigaiselvan said that the factions are likely to come to terms with the single leadership issue.

“We have been holding talks with both the leaders and the opinions of both of them is being conveyed to them in person. The talks would soon end and both factions would arrive at a common solution,” he said.

On Saturday, of the 75 district secretaries in the AIADMK, as many as 11 district secretaries met Panneerselvam at his residence as a show of support, while 64 of them supported Palaniswami.

After the show of strength, Panneerselvam along with the senior leaders, visited the party’s office and finalised the list of resolutions to be passed at the party’s general council meeting.

On Sunday, after holding talks with Palaniswami, senior leaders Vaithilingam, Thambidurai, Sengottaiyan, Sellur Raju met Panneerselvam at his residence.

Sources in both camps told The Federal that they are exploring the legal hurdles and opportunities in bringing up the single leadership resolution at the general council meeting.

In December 2021, the party’s general council amended the party’s bylaws by creating two posts – coordinator and joint coordinator and the candidates for the posts would be elected through a single vote and primary members of the party would elect them. It also added that the general council has no authority to amend the rule pertaining to election of the coordinator and joint coordinator, which would be done by the primary members of the party.

Based on these amendments, Panneerselvam and Palaniswami were elected as the party’s coordinator and join coordinator respectively. They will hold the posts for a term of five years and were authorised signatories of the party for nominating candidates for Parliament, Assembly, and local body elections.

“Bringing any post above coordinator and joint coordinator posts may lead to legal hurdles. The party’s general council does not have the power to bring up any such posts without the consent of the coordinator and joint coordinator,” Panneerselvam had said earlier.

Even as they were exploring the legal hurdles that they may face, Palaniswami’s faction was firm in bringing up a special resolution on single leadership in the rank of general secretary for the party.