AIADMK meet throws weight behind EPS, Panneerselvam walks out

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Coordinator, O Panneerselvam, on Thursday, left the party's General Council meeting after it refused to budge from its one demand for the party's leadership and favoured his competitor and Joint Coordinator, Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).

As EPS was presented with a decorated crown, sword, and sceptre by supporters amid cheers, OPS and his supporters, including Deputy Secretary R Vaithilingam, exited the hall and left the premises. The GC meeting, which featured chaotic scenes, was over in 40 minutes.

B Valarmathi, a senior office-bearer and former Minister, sang a song from the film of party founder M G Ramachandran and said, 'a leader, will emerge,' seemingly referring to EPS. The GC meeting, which focused solely on making EPS the supreme party leader, turned out to be a show of strength by the Palaniswami camp, with OPS supporters vastly outnumbered.

In the 40 minutes meeting, all 23 proposed resolutions were rejected. It declared that the GC members' sole demand is to implement a system of single leadership for the party, with Joint Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami as the preferred candidate.

The process of passing previously decided resolutions began as soon as the meeting started amid chaotic scenes of slogan shouting. Coordinator O Panneerselvam proposed the first, and the second was by Palaniswami, who addressed the former as "brother" in his brief remarks.

Soon after, C Ve Shanmugam, a senior leader recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, declared that all resolutions "are rejected by the General Council." 

Deputy Secretary K P Munusamy stated all GC members rejected all 23 proposed resolutions. "Their sole demand is for a single leader." When such a resolution in favour of a single leadership (in favour of EPS) is taken up and passed, all other resolutions will be adopted when the GC convenes in the future, he added.

Panneerselvam, known as OPS, was seated near EPS on the dais when the GC burst into the single leadership chorus. The party announced that the GC would reconvene on July 11.

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• AIADMK
• Deputy Secretary R Vaithilingam
• EPS
• Edappadi K Palaniswami
• General Council meeting
• O Panneerselvam
• OPS