High drama prevails at AIADMK general council meeting in Chennai; GC to meet again on July 11 to discuss single leadership

CHENNAI: Newly appointed AIADMK presidium chairman Tamil Magan Hussain on Thursday announced that the party would convene a general council meeting on July 11 to discuss the demand of the members for a single leadership. AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam along with supporters walked out in protest.
Hussain made the announcement at the general council meeting convened in Chennai, after party steering committee member C Ve Shanmugam read out a letter of 2,190 general council members, urging the presidium chairman, coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami to dispense with the dual leadership and revert to a single leadership.

In the letter, the members alleged that there were setbacks, difficulties and administrative issues suffered by the party under dual leadership and its inability to oppose the DMK government and the party.
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"It has disappointed and shocked the cadres, functionaries and the people. The cadres are also tired of the dual leadership's contradictory, unclear and non-cooperative functioning. If the party has to work for people for more than 100 years as told by Amma (J Jayalalithaa), there is a need for a strong, brave and clear single leader like that of Puratchi Thalaiver MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma," Shanmugam said.
Earlier, high drama prevailed in the hall when an announcement was made about tabling of 23 resolutions before the council and senior leaders C Ponnaiyan and Dindigul C Sreenivasan to propose and second them. However, Shanmugam took the microphone and declared: "All the resolutions were rejected by the members." The packed hall erupted in cheers, even as coordinator O Panneerselvam sat on the dais.

Party deputy coordinator K P Munusamy said the resolutions were rejected. "The only demand of the members is to establish single leadership. All resolutions will be adopted along with the resolution for single leadership when the next general council meets," the leader said, amid loud claps.
Earlier, party members raised slogans against OPS. OPS waited for EPS in a room at the venue (a marriage hall) in Vanagaram. EPS arrived at the venue at 11.20am, more than an hour behind the schedule.