AIADMK : General Council Names Edappadi K Palaniswami As Interim General Secretary; Now Supreme Party Leader ; OPS Expelled Unanimously

Picture : Twitter/ ANI

In a major decision AIADMK general council meet revives General Secretary post, picks Edappadi K Palaniswami as interim General Secretary.

The General Council meet  thereby empowers Palaniswami to steer the party, as a single supreme leader in his position as interim General Secretary. The meet resolves to hold organisational polls to formally elect General Secretary and tweaks the party bylaws.

As per ANI report, AIADMK General Council adopts resolutions for reviving the general secretary post and to ensure electing a person for the post by the primary members of the party. The election will be held 4 months from now

With the Madras High Court  giving the go ahead for the crucial General Council meet of the party, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappady K Palaniswami was all set to be made the party’s single supreme leader, with his dominant faction having already announced that the powerful General Secretary post will be revived .

Late CM J Jayalalithaa held the post till her death in December 2016. Soon after the HC green flag on Monday, the AIADMK Executive Council meet went underway at a wedding hall, while the General Council set to follow.

Earlier, the Madras High Court on Monday rejected a plea from AIADMK leader and former co-ordinator O Panneerselvam to stay the conduct of the general council meeting holding that the court cannot interfere into the squabbles of a political party.

The AIADMK general souncil meet also expelled rival leader O Panneerselvam from the party’s primary membership and his post of treasurer.

Amid a big round of applause from the general council members, at its meeting at a marriage hall in Chennai, a special resolution moved by senior leader Natham R Viswanathan to remove Panneerslvam and his supporters was adopted unanimously.

The resolution accused Panneerselvam of siding with the DMK regime and having ties with the ruling party leaders and working to weaken the AIADMK. OPS acted against the party interests, its goals and principles. He took steps including approaching police to stall the June 23 General Council meet, which was jointly convened by him along with Palaniswami. The AIADMK alleged that Panneerselvam pursued selfish interests.

The party expelled Panneerselvam from his post of treasurer and primary membership. It also expelled his supporters, R Vaithilingam, P H Manoj Pandian — both legislators and ex-MLA JCD Prabakar.