After HC cleared decks, EPS elected interim General Secy of AIADMK

Chennai: After the Madras high court cleared the decks, the General Council of the AIADMK on Monday unanimously elected Edapaddi K.Palaniswami (EPS) as the interim General Secretary of the party, paving the way for the restoration of the unitary leadership in the party.
The meeting also abolished the posts of Coordinator and co-Coordinator, as the amendments to the party bye-laws made in the December 2021.
Executive meeting electing Palaniswami and his detractor O.Panneerselvam (OPS) as Co-coordinator and Coordinator through a single vote, was not ratified in the earlier General Council held on June 23.
The meeting made amendments to the party bye-laws and also created a new post of Deputy General Secretary. However, no names were proposed.
Moving the resolution, former Minister R.B.Udhayakumar said the need for single leadership–reverting back to the days of MGR and J.Jayalalithaa–was the compulsion of time and a strong leadership was needed to effectively take on the ruling DMK.
It also said election to the Post of General Secetary will be held in four months.
The resolution electing Palaniswami as the interim General Secretary was greeted with thunderous applause, even as decibel levels remained high against Panneerselvam as almost all speakers demanded his removal from the party.
“Betrayers should be removed from the party”, former Minsiter P.Thangamani said, in his address, while another former Minister D.Jayakumar said EPS was the single leader of the party.
Panneerselvam, who had filed a suit in the High court opposing single leadership and favoured continuance of dual leadership, did not attend the meeting.
However, he and his supporters barged into the AIADMK party office in the city, broke the locks and entered inside, leading to violence and police lathicharge,as supporters of Palaniswami pelted stones damaging window panes and also vandalised the car of Panneerselvam and his supporters, leading to a clash.
Police sources said at least ten people were injured in the stone pelting incident as supporters of OPS captured the party office and displayed his portrait from the balcony, even as OPS held consultations with his supporters.
A large number of police personnel were posted at the party office to prevent further escalation of the tension, even as the Palaniswami camp lodged an official complaint with the police against Panneerselvam.
Earlier, the Madras High court said there was no objection to conduct the AIADMK’S GC meeting.
Passing the orders just 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting at 0915 hrs, Justice Krishnan Ramasamy allowed convening today’s meeting and noted that the majority of AIADMK members are in favour of conducting the GC meeting and allow the same today, while dismissing the suit filed by OPS. In all 16 resolutions were adopted at the meeting after former Health Minister Dr C.Vijayabaskar declared the income and expenditure of the party.
Among the resolutions included, Bharat Ratna award for late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, scrapping of the Coordinator and deputy coordinator posts, creation of the post of interim general secretary (GS), election ogf GS by the General council members, slamming the DMK DMK government for scrapping schemes brought during the previous AIADMK regime and for its failure to control the sky rocketing prices of essential commodities.
A resolution urging the Centre and the State governments to stop Karnataka’s Proposal to construct Mekadatu dam across the river Cauvery was also adoptedat the meeting.
Urging the Tamil Nadu Government to work for the welfare of Tamils living in crisis-hit Sri Lanka and urging the DMK to fulfill its all poll promises were among the resolutions adopted at the meeting.