Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 11: Amidst chaotic scenes and violence and a series of dramatic developments, the badly-divided AIADMK routed in the last year’s state Assembly elections on Monday brought an end to the dual leadership policy with the executive general council reviving he post of general secretary after five years to be filled in for the time being by the former chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS).
The meeting which was preceded by violence outside and inside the party headquarter in Chennai leading to its sealing by the revenue department officials, also “expelled” from the party O. Panneerselvam (OPS) allegedly for indulging in “anti-party activities.” The allegations had been in the air for some time that OPS had been hand-in-glove with the rival DMK during the last Assembly elections and helped it to win the polls.
While the council meet was underway in Vanagaram, on the outskirts of Chennai, chaotic scenes were witnessed in the party headquarters in Royapettah, Chennai. Tension prevailed near the AIADMK party headquarters in Royapettah from Monday morning as a major clash erupted between the supporters of the two leaders just half an hour before the party general council commenced.
Trouble began when Panneerselvam was on the way to the party office in his vehicle, the supporters of Palaniswami hurled stones preventing his convoy from advancing. The supporters of Panneerselvam retaliated and managed to break open the locked premises of the AIADMK party office and enter.
After OPS entered the party headquarters, his supporters also followed suit. Supporters of the two warring factions continued attacking each with stones, bottles and plastic chairs. Some tore the banners of EPS and set them afire. Several vehicles parked on the roadside were damaged.
One of the supporters of Panneerselvam was stabbed in the melee, reports said. Utter chaos and confusion unfolded in the area. Police personnel resorted to lathi charge and brought the situation under control. Panneerselvam continued to stay inside the party office with his supporters, even as the proceedings of the general council commenced at Vanagaram.
The trouble makers were picked up by police personnel. The road leading to the party headquarters was cordoned off. For more than one hour, the traffic was affected and residents in the area said they could not move out of home, due to the violence.
Following group clash and violence, the revenue department officials led by Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Saivathini entered the AIADMK party office at Royapettah, Chennai and the police asked the OPS camp to vacate the premises. After OPS and his supporters left the premises, the AIADMK headquarters ‘MGR Maaligai’ was sealed by the revenue authorities.
In the meeting, the AIADMK General Council cited difficulty in decision-making and discontentment among party cadre under the dual leadership policy while scrapping the posts of Coordinator and Joint Coordinator, held by O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami respectively. The General Council with over 2,500 members empowered Edappadi K Palaniswami to steer the party as a single supreme leader.
EPS and some senior party leaders accused OPS of siding with the DMK regime and working to weaken the AIADMK. D Jayakumar lashed out at OPS branding him as the “stooge” of the DMK. “It was the duty of the Government to give protection to the AIADMK headquarters. When Jayalalitha was the Chief Minister, Vaiko after his expulsion from DMK, wanted to take out a rally via Anna Arivalayam, permission was refused.” OPS trespassed into AIADMK headquarters and took away documents, he further alleged.
Responding to his expulsion, O Panneerselvam said he was elected as the Coordinator by “1.5 crore” party workers and that neither EPS nor another leader had the right to expel him. “I will approach the court,” he said. Claiming that his expulsion was illegal, OPS in turn said he was “expelling” EPS and some of his prominent supporters from the party.
But the party formally resolved to hold organisational polls in four months to elect General Secretary while appointing EPS the interim general secretary. It has amended several bylaws, which include fresh norms to fight for the top party position. One of the norms says only a person with 10-year primary membership of the party can contest the polls.
The General Council meeting commenced after a go-ahead from the Madras High Court this morning. The court rejected a plea filed by O Panneerselvam seeking a stay on the meeting called by the faction led by Edappadi K Palaniswami. The OPS camp had contended before the court that only the Coordinator and the Joint Coordinator can convene the meeting as per law. And this meeting called by the newly-appointed presidium chairman is technically illegal.
However, team EPS argued that dual leadership is no longer in force as the previous meeting held on June 23 did not ratify the election of both leaders, and hence the presidium chairman convening the meeting, and the office-bearers sending invites is legal. Last week, the Supreme Court permitted team EPS to convene the meeting in accordance with the law. While EPS wanted singular leadership, OPS wanted the present dual leadership model to continue.
The two leaders were working under the dual leadership model as per a truce adopted five years ago after the death of the then chief minister J Jayalalitha in December 2016.