No force can destabilise AIADMK: EPS ahead of crucial GC meet

CHENNAI: With the AIADMK's general council meeting, that would decide the party's leadership, hanging in the balance following O Panneerselvam's letter, Edappadi K Palaniswamy sought functionaries' support to strengthen the party.

Former Chief Minister and AIADMK's deputy coordinator Palaniswamy during a meeting with the party's IT wing said the attempts to weaken the party using the unitary leadership issue would fail.

"No such attempt in the party's history has ever fructified, with your support I will foil all such bids," he added.

The AIADMK has been in the eye of a political storm for the past few days with the rising voices calling for a single leadership by doing away with the dual leadership system in a meeting with district secretaries jointly chaired by EPS and OPS on June 14.

The three-time Chief Minister O Panneerselvam in a letter signed by R Vaithilingam, one of the deputy coordinators, called for the postponement of the general council meeting owing to "confusion among party office bearers and cadres." This letter has reportedly caused anguish among the EPS camp.

The meet is scheduled to be held on June 23 with arrangements made in a private wedding hall in Vanagaram where the AIADMK general council meets were chaired by late AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa with an attendance ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 members.