Tamil Nadu: Some trying to weaken AIADMK, says Edappadi K Palaniswami

CHENNAI: Breaking his long silence on the power tussle to revert to single leadership in the AIADMK, party joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami hit out at "certain individuals" for their attempts to weaken the party. He said the AIADMK was strong and there was no history of the party ever having faced major setbacks. EPS was careful not to take the name of AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam.
Meanwhile, in a bid to forestall the party general council meeting scheduled on June 23, OPS on Tuesday requested the Avadi police commissionerate to deny permission for the high-level meeting, citing "extraordinary" situation prevailing in the party.
Panneerselvam's decision to petition the police came a day after his letter to EPS, urging him to put off the meeting and party's Tiruvallur district secretary P Benjamin approaching the police for security cover for the event. OPS also informed the manager of the marriage hall about his correspondence to Palaniswami.
More functionaries from OPS faction call on EPS
"As per our party bylaws, only the coordinator and joint coordinator are vested with powers to seek legal action. I request you to deny permission for the meeting in this extraordinary situation, since police are responsible for law and order in the interest of cadres and people," OPS said in his complaint, adding that the decision of Benjamin to seek police protection was "arbitrary and against the party". It came close on the heels of EPS's reply to OPS's letter, conveying his resolve to hold the general council meeting, sources said. The reply was not made public by either of the camps.
Armed with resolutions adopted by district units in support of EPS's leadership, more loyalists from the OPS camp, including three district secretaries from Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar and Tiruvallur, besides former minister K Pandiarajan, called on EPS at his Chennai residence.
A large number of supporters held aloft photographs of EPS and raised slogans in support of his leadership. Palaniswami told the district secretaries of IT wing (Madurai zone) led by secretary V V R Raj Satyen, who visited him after passing a resolution endorsing his leadership, that the IT wing's role was significant in strengthening the party and thwarting the attempts of certain individuals to weaken the party.
Pandiarajan, the lone minister who stood by OPS during his famous 'dharmayudh' against the Sasikala clan in 2017, said, "Single leadership is the need of the hour and EPS is more qualified in all aspects." For his part, former minister D Jayakumar accused OPS of releasing his letter to EPS to the media and approaching the court only to prevent EPS from taking over the reins of the party.
Meanwhile, a section of Sasikala supporters called on Panneerselvam at his Greenways Road residence, besides his brother, O Raja, who was expelled in March for meeting Sasikala in Tiruchendur.