AIADMK team asks EC again to accept EPS as interim chief
CHENNAI: An AIADMK team led by former law minister CVe Shanmugam on Wednesday reiterated the party’s request to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to accept the decisions taken in the July 11 General Council (GC) meeting, including the election of Edappadi K Palaniswami as the party’s interim general secretary and to notify them on the Commission’s website.
When contacted, Shanmugam told TNIE that the AIADMK had, on July 13, submitted affidavits of 2,532 GC members expressing support for the election of Palaniswami as interim general secretary and other decisions taken during the July 11 GC meeting to the ECI.
The decisions include creation of the post of interim general secretary, and conduct of an election for the post of general secretary within four months.
‘OPS’s coordinator claim violates law’
“However, since cases were filed in the Madras HC regarding the developments in the AIADMK, the ECI did not take any action on approving the decisions taken at the July 11 GC meeting. Recently, a division bench of the HC quashed the order of the single judge and upheld the validity of the July 11 meeting and the decisions taken at the meeting. Today, we have reiterated our request to the ECI to accord early approval for the decisions taken at the meeting,” Shanmugam added.
In New Delhi, after meeting ECI officials, Shanmugam was asked about O Panneerselvam still claiming to be the AIADMK coordinator. He responded, “This is totally wrong and violative of the law. But we are not surprised since he had brought rowdies to loot the AIADMK headquarters. After the court cases are disposed of, the party will take action.”
When a scribe said Panneerselvam too had been claiming that he was leading the true AIADMK, Shanmugam denied it stoutly. “Nowhere has Panneerselvam given any proof to show that he has the overwhelming support of GC members. What he has been doing is just parroting that he is the party coordinator. But the posts of coordinator and joint coordinator became invalid on July 11, and Palaniswami was elected as interim general secretary by 2,532 GC members. Most MPs and MLAs supported him,” he added.
Questioned whether he had urged the ECI against taking any decision in favour of Panneerselvam, Shanmugam said: “Why should we place such a request? We are the real AIADMK, so we urged the ECI to accept the decisions taken in the July 11 GC meeting.”