CHENNAI: The tussle within AIADMK has spilled into the Karnataka Assembly elections also. On Thursday, the deposed party leader O Panneerselvam fielded his candidate in the Pulikesinagar constituency. This comes a day after the party's general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami fielded a candidate in the constituency.
"M Nedunchezhiyan, students wing secretary of the AIADMK's Karnataka unit will be the official candidate of the party in Pulikesinagar constituency," said Panneerselvam in a statement, which mentioned him as the party's coordinator.
Palaniswami has fielded D Anbarasan, presidium chairman of the AIADMK's Karnataka unit, in the same Pulikesinagar constituency on behalf of the party.
Meanwhile, The Election Commission of India today recognised Edappadi K Palaniswami as the general secretary of the AIADMK by taking on record amended rules and regulations of the party and the change in the office bearer of the party. However, the ECI, in its communication said the changes have been taken on record "subject to any further court order/direction".
In another communication to the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, the ECI directed that the candidate fielded by the AIADMK should be allotted the Two Leaves symbol. As such, the candidate fielded by OPS this morning will have to contest as an independent candidate.
While the ECI’s decision has come as a big boost for Palaniswami, the Commission has dashed the hopes of O Panneerselvam and it came as a big setback for him. Political analysts are of the view that Panneerselvam has almost pushed to a stage where he has to launch his own political party. Panneerselvam and his supporters are making arrangements for the state-level conference on April 24 at Trichy.
The Madras High Court also will begin today the final hearing on the AIADMK case based on appeals filed by Panneerselvam and his supporters. They are challenging an earlier high court verdict that paved way for the election of Palaniswami as the party's general secretary.
Palaniswami has also convened the AIADMK district secretaries meeting this evening to discuss the arrangements for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.