EPS expels OPS from AIADMK

Chennai, July 11: AIADMK leader O Pannerselvam, who was once a most-trusted aide of late J Jayalalithaa, has been expelled from the party on Monday.

The AIADMK General Council adopted a resolution to remove O Paneerselvam from the party's primary membership. His supporters like JCD Prabhakar, R Vaithilingam and PH Manoj Pandian have also been expelled from the party.

Dindukal Srinivasan has replaced O Pannerselvam as the AIADMK treasurer.

Speaking at the occasion, former state minister and AIADMK leader Natham Vishwanathan said that O Pannerselvam has a dual face. "He doesn't want anyone to have a good life. He is jealous...saying so from my experience. I am happy that he is out now," news agency ANI quoted him as saying at the party's GC meeting in Vanagaram.

Responding to the development, Paneerselvam said that he will move courts as he was made the party coordinator by 1.5 crore party cadres. "General Council expelling me isn't valid...We will take legal action according to law. They don't have the right to remove me," ANI quoted OPS in a tweet.

The AIADMK on Monday elected Edappady K Palaniswami (EPS) as its Interim General Secretary and vested in him full powers to helm the organisation. In its Executive Committee and General Council meeting, the AIADMK endorsed scrapping the erstwhile top two positions of Coordinator and Joint Coordinator held by O Panneerselvam and (OPS) Palaniswami, respectively.

The party has also formally resolved to hold organisational polls in four months to elect General Secretary. It has amended several bylaws, which include fresh norms and prerequisites to fight for the top party position of the General Secretary. In total, 16 resolutions were adopted.

After the demise of Jayalalithaa in 2016, the party has been following a dual-leadership formula with EPS as co-coordinator and OPS as coordinator. The clamour has been growing louder for a single leader in the party since the district secretary meeting on June 14 this year.

In comparison to OPS, EPS enjoys the support of a large number of party MLAs and district secretaries.

However, the supporters of both the leaders clashed on the streets of Chennai, leaving several people injured. Kolathur District Secretary Krishnamurthy, a supporter of OPS, got hit by a stone thrown by EPS supporters at the party headquarters.