“OPS In League With DMK”: New AIADMK Boss After Rival Expelled

Chennai:

AIADMK Interim Basic Secretary E Palaniswamy (or EPS) launched a frontal assault on rival O Panneerselvam (or OPS), who was ousted from the get together after an finish to the twin management system.

“OPS has unleashed violence and brought away get together belongings from the workplace, in league with the DMK authorities,” EPS alleged. “Police didn’t give safety to the AIADMK headquarters regardless of pleas. That is proof of the deteriorating legislation and order.”

This got here simply after a weeks-long build-up ended with massive adjustments in Tamil Nadu’s principal opposition get together AIADMK. Scrapping the posts of Coordinator and Joint Coordinator — held by OPS and EPS, respectively — the get together Basic Council with over 2,500 members selected to have one supreme Basic Secretary. Technically, the put up is with EPS solely as an interim association till elections are held in 4 months. OPS and a few of his aides have been expelled for “anti-party” actions.

“Anybody may be the Basic Secretary,” EPS introduced, including that OPS didn’t hearken to the demand of the get together cadres who wished one chief.” Senior leaders spoke to OPS a number of occasions, EPS claimed.

“I do know what I went via underneath the twin management,” he mentioned. “I’ve been a loyal get together employee, as MLA, MP, minister and chief minister. I used to be at all times one amongst you (get together staff), and would be the identical. This get together is my life.”

The 2 leaders have been working underneath the twin management mannequin as per a truce adopted 5 years in the past, when factionalism threatened to interrupt up the get together after the loss of life of the then chief minister J Jayalalitha in December 2016. The get together since misplaced energy, and infighting bought as dangerous because it was, culminating in EPS’s takeover transfer in the present day.  

O Panneerselvam (or OPS) and E Palaniswamy (or EPS) had been working collectively as there was a worry of the get together splintering after J Jayalalitha’s loss of life. (File Photograph) 

OPS had sensed that EPS was transferring swiftly in the direction of an endgame. After the earlier Basic Council assembly didn’t put its stamp on retaining the two-leader setup, OPS went to the Madras Excessive Court docket, which halted adoption of any “unannounced” resolutions by the get together council. However the Supreme Court docket — on a plea by the EPS faction — eliminated that halt. OPS went to the Excessive Court docket once more within the hope that the assembly can be stopped. However that didn’t come via. After that, it was a matter of ritual for EPS to take the highest put up on this assembly that was held in the present day. 

The struggle in court docket, although, is prone to drag at the least a little bit additional.

Responding to his expulsion, OPS mentioned he was elected as Coordinator by “1.5 crore” get together staff and that neither EPS nor one other chief had the suitable to expel him. “I expel them from major membership,” he claimed.

EPS in his speech after the takeover accused the DMK authorities of being “busy with fee and corruption”, and mentioned that OPS’s son — OP Raveendran, Lok Sabha member — “gave a ‘good’ certificates to the DMK authorities.” 

“MGR had known as DMK an evil drive,” he mentioned, referring to get together founder MG Ramachandran, who was chief minister from 1977 until his loss of life in 1987.  

EPS additionally made a reference to the court docket battle: “OPS is the one get together chief who provides a criticism towards his get together’s common council meet.” He accused OPS of getting “damaged open” the get together headquarters to “take away issues”.