Chennai, May 10(BPNS)

Former Chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K Palaniswami will be the next opposition leader of Tamil Nadu. A  three hour long meeting of party legislatures and senior leaders  held at the party headquarters here on Monday decided to make the former Chief minister as the legislature party leader of the AIADMK. Legislature party leader of the opposition party will automatically become the opposition leader in the assembly.

Party senior leaders handed over a letter proposing the name of Edappadi K Palaniswami as the legislature party leader of AIADMK to the assembly secretary K Srinivas after the meeting of the party legislatures and office bearers.

This is the first time that the AIADMK legislature party leader is announced after much opposition within the party. The party is yet to announce the name of its Chief whip and Deputy leader in the assembly.

There were hectic parleys in the AIADMK and former Deputy Chief minister O Panneerselvam had proposed the name of former Speaker P Dhanapal as the party legislature party leader which was voiced down by the MLA’s in support of Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Senior leaders of the AIADMK, KA Sengottayian, KP Munusamy, Dindigul C Sreenivasan , Sellur K Raju, KA Anbhazhagan met the Tamil Nadu assembly secretary K Srinivasan and handed over the letter of support to Edappadi K Palaniswami.

The newly elected legislators will take the oath of office on May 11, Tuesday and the Speaker will be elected on May 12. It is to be noted that the Speaker has to be escorted to the chair by the Chief minister and the Opposition leader and hence the selection of the Opposition leader must have to take place before May 12.