CHENNAI: The tussle between AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami continued on Thursday with EPS saying OPS was no longer the coordinator of the party. Breaking his silence a week after the general council (GC) meeting, AIADMK ‘headquarters secretary’ Palaniswami, conveyed this in a letter to Panneerselvam.
Palaniswami said he came to know about the details of Panneerselvam’s letter written on Wednesday through the press and later through AIADMK headquarters incharge. OPS, on Wednesday night, wrote a letter to Palaniswami requesting the latter to send Forms A and B for party candidates who would be contesting in the ensuing by-elections to the local body posts so that they can contest under the two-Leaves symbol. Palaniswami explained that the amendments made to the bylaws of the party on December 1, 2021, ceased to exist on June 23 since the GC meeting did not ratify them.
“As such, the letter written by you treating yourselves as the coordinator of the AIADMK is invalid.” “The AIADMK has not officially announced its candidates for the ensuing elections. You waited for the last date for filing nominations to pass to write this letter. Further, you boycotted the meeting of the office-bearers on June 27. Hence, your letter is invalid,” EPS added.
“Writing this letter to me after trying to stall the GC meeting convened by both of us, by approaching the police as well as courts and doing everything possible aimed at pushing the AIADMK to a dysfunctional state, is inappropriate,” Palaniswami said in his letter to Panneerselvam. Meanwhile, senior AIADMK functionary KP Munusamy, in Krishnagiri, said all members rejected the 23 resolutions at the June 23 meeting as the resolution on single leadership was not moved.
He added that 2,582 GC members, 63 MLAs out of 66 and 70 district secretaries out of 75 are in support of the single leadership. In a democratic set up, majority opinion matters and wondered why Panneerselvam is not accepting this. Munusamy, who was with Panneerselvam during the Dharma Yuddham in 2017, said AIADMK cadre cannot accept Panneerselvam now because he has compromised himself in opposing the DMK government and many times, he praised the ruling party.
Criticising Panneerselvam for approaching the police and court to stall the GC meeting, Munusamy said, as per the bylaws of AIADMK, any member of the party who moves the court to settle a party-related issue would cease to be a member of the AIADMK.