Chennai, July 5 (BPNS)
The Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS)faction leaders of the AIADMK, former Minister D. Jayakumar, and P. Benjamin have petitioned the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police to provide police protection for the party general council meeting on July 11 to be held at Vangaram. The leaders petitioned that anti-social elements may try to disturb the party general council meeting on that day and hence need protection.
The supporters of EPS have convened the party general council meeting on July 11 and invitations have been sent to all the general council members of the party including O. Panneerselvam.
The meeting is convened to elect EPS as the party general secretary and bringing to an end the present dual leadership in the party. Presently O. Panneerselvam is the coordinator of the party while Edappadi K. Palaniswami is the co-coordinator. The invitation to the general council meeting which has been sent to all the members including O. Panneerselvam and his supporters who are arguing for a status quo, states that if the meeting could not be held due to any Covid-related restrictions, then the meeting will be held in the online mode.
The main agenda of the meeting according to leaders close to Edappadi is to abolish the posts of coordinator and joint coordinator and to put an end to the dual leadership in the party and elect a single general secretary.
The invitation sent to the general council meeting of July 11 states that as the amendments made to the by-laws of the party on December 1, 2021, for electing coordinator and joint coordinator were not ratified by the general council meeting on June 23rd, a situation has arisen wherein the coordinator and joint coordinator cannot function.
Sources in the EPS faction told BPNS that on June 23rd,2190 members of the general council had requested to convene the next general council meeting on July 11. The meeting to be convened by AIADMK Presidium Chairman, A. Tamizhmagan Hussain at 9.15 am on July 11.
16 topics are to be discussed at the general council meeting including opposition to the anti-people activities of the DMK government of Stalin. The foisting of cases against former AIADMK ministers by the present DMK government will also be discussed in the general council meeting.
While the EPS faction has announced the General council meeting on July 11 and has sent invitation letters, the OPS faction has already moved the Madras High Court to stall the general council meeting. However, the division bench of the Madras High Court did not accept the complaint and directed a single bench of the court to hear the case. It is to be seen whether the OPS faction will move the single bench of the Madras High Court.
