Team EPS asserts AIADMK's GC will be held as per schedule

CHENNAI: The AIADMK camp led by leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday asserted that the party's general council meeting would be held as per the schedule even as the preparation are in full swing to organise the meeting.

Separate discussions by the sulking camps of O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami continued for the eighth consecutive day.

Expressing confidence that the party's both executive and general council meetings will be held as per the plan, AIADMK's former fisheries minister D Jayakumar said more than 2,000 council members were in favor of single leadership in the party to strengthen it.

"Even 90% of party cadres want single leadership", he said and appealed to all the invitees to attend the meeting without fail to show their strength.

Jayakumar also accused Panneerselvam of allegedly leaking his letter requesting Palaniswami to postpone the party's general council meeting. "It is party's confidential communication and distributing to media is against the rule," he said.

The former Royapuram MLA charged Pannnerselvam for moving the court with regard to party affairs. "Internal and confidential activities within the party members should not be revealed," he added.

Jayakumar also alleged that Panneerselvam has started meeting former party members, who were sacked for anti-party activities. "This again against the party's rule and regulations," he said.

Meanwhile, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam filed a petition with the state DGP Sylendra Babu stating that the police should not permit the event as there was a possible law and order problem. OPS in a complaint petition also noted that the agenda for the general council was yet to be finalised, by the party co ordinator and senior party members.

In a related developed EPS urged the party cadres to extend support to him, Palaniswami, in a meeting with his supporters, claimed that many people were trying to ruin AIADMK. "It cannot be destroyed and I will be there to save it", he added.

Extending his support for single leadership, AIADMK former minister Ma Foi Pandiarajan said the general council meeting is very crucial and the meeting is expected to take important decisions to strengthen the party in the future.

K C Palanisamy former AIADMK's Lok Sabha member said as both Panneerselvam and Palaniswami were strong in their stance, the party will be heading for a split, which is not good. "Even their supporters do not want their respective leader to give up", he added.