The AIADMK infighting between O Panneerselvam (OPS) and ex-Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) spilled over onto the streets on Monday, with their supporters engaging in a violent brawl outside the party headquarters. The fight broke out ahead of the party’s general council meeting held to decide the future leadership structure of the party. However, despite the brawl, Edappadi K Palaniswami has been appointed as the interim general secretary of AIADMK following today’s meeting.
According to reports, O Panneerselvam supporters also hit E Palaniswami’s photo with slippers. Later, Panneerselvam greeted his supporters from a portico and also waved the party flag. His supporters raised “Ayya OPS vazhga” (hail OPS sir) slogans.
#WATCH | O Paneerselvam supporters slap slippers at E Palaniswami’s photo as they protest AIADMK’s General Council meeting in Vanagaram, Chennai pic.twitter.com/1bLqtnT7To
— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2022
Visuals also showed members of both factions hurling stones at each other. Reportedly, some people also damaged vehicles parked nearby. Posters and banners were also burnt during the ruckus outside the party HQ.
அதிமுக அலுவலகத்தில் கல் வீச்சு!#AdmkgeneralbodyMeeting #ADMK pic.twitter.com/bQvg6KSfKl
— RJ RaJa (@rajaduraikannan) July 11, 2022
#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Visuals from outside the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai where supporters of party leaders E Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam burn posters & banners, ahead of the General Council meeting, today pic.twitter.com/BS00E133Ks
— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2022
The members from both factions also engaged in a fist fight and attacked each other with sticks.
Scuffle broke out between supporters of EPS and OPS outside AIADMK headquarters in Chennai ahead of the General Council meeting of the party. #EPSvsOPS #AIADMK #GeneralCouncil #TNPolitics pic.twitter.com/hmzsrsEcQl
— Shilpa (@Shilpa1308) July 11, 2022
Owing to the clashes, the AIADMK office had been locked, but rowdy members of both factions broke open the locked doors and made their way into the party headquarters and created a ruckus.
OPS supporters broke open the locked door of headquarters building, making way for the entry of their leader, who for now has given a skip for the general council meeting and has chosen to be at the party headquarters. #OPanneerselvam #AIADMK #AIADMK #aiadmkgeneralbodymeeting pic.twitter.com/g3xbMmRRvg
— DT Next (@dt_next) July 11, 2022
Ex-Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami elected as the party’s interim general secretary
Meanwhile, according to reports, during the party’s council meeting held today morning, Edappadi K Palaniswami was appointed as the interim general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), thus ending the dual leadership in the party. The announcement came as the General Council passed resolutions to reinstate the position of general secretary and to guarantee that the party’s primary members choose a candidate for the position. The election will be held 4 months from now.
Further, during the meeting, it was decided that the posts of the coordinator and joint coordinator would be terminated and a Deputy General Secretary post would be created, who will be selected by the party’s General Secretary.
The AIADMK infighting
For months on end, the two former chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and his predecessor O Panneerselvam (OPS) were locked in an intense tussle for the sole leadership of AIADMK. While OPS has been pushing for the current joint leadership model to continue, EPS had been keen for single leadership with himself as the party General Secretary.
Recently, O Panneerselvam had moved the Madras High Court to stall the crucial General Council meeting of the party that was held today to decide on the fate of the party leadership. The Madras High Court, however, refused to stall the AIADMK general council meeting in Chennai on Monday, July 11.
It may be noted that when AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa passed away in December 2016, EPS and OPS decided to share party leadership. While there had been differences between the two leaders, the arrangement worked well until the AIADMK’s rule ended in April 2021.
After a string of election defeats, EPS declared that the model was ineffective, while OPS frantically petitioned the courts to retain power over the party.
On Wednesday, however, the Supreme Court gave EPS and his team permission to convene the meeting in accordance with the law.
