AIADMK GS election on Mar 26; OPS’ team to explore legal options

CHENNAI: Amidst the ongoing power struggle intertwined with legal battle between Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and O Panneerselvam factions over the leadership row, the EPS team went a step forward and announced that the election for the post of general secretary would be held on March 26.

Sources in the party said that EPS, after holding discussion with senior leaders at the party headquarters on Saturday, would file his nomination, which will commence from 10 am on Saturday. “As per the provision 20 (A) of the party’s constitution, the general secretary will be elected by the primary members of the party,” senior AIADMK leaders Natham R Viswanthan and Pollachi V Jayaraman, who were appointed as election commissioners, said in a joint statement.

They further announced counting centres in 75 district units in the state and 10 centres in other states, including Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Maharashtra and New Delhi and appealed to the party functionaries and cadres to extend their cooperation for the election.

According to the release, candidates can file nominations on March 18 and till 3pm on March 19. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on March 20. Candidates can withdraw papers until 3pm on March 21, according to an official release. The counting of the votes will happen on March 27.

The decision came on the close heels of the Supreme Court’s verdict, affirming the September 2 verdict of the Madras High Court that validated the AIADMK’s general council meeting on July 11 last year.

OPS told the media persons that he would respond to the development on Saturday.

“EPS desperation will not benefit him electorally and he will bite his dust. It will diminish the image of the party and its legacy permanently. The explicit example is the party’s dismal performance in the recently held Erode East bypoll. The party performed from bad to worse under EPS,” former MLA and election-wing secretary of OPS faction A Subburathinam said. He further said they would chalk out legal options to undo EPS’s attempts.

While party insiders whispered that the election was merely a formality and EPS would be elected unopposed as the next general secretary, the political critics called it a miscalculated and hurried decision that would backfire.

“As per the Election Commission of India’s record, there is no vacancy for the post. It gives a high possibility for OPS to counter EPS team before the ECI as well as in the Madras High Court, which is hearing the case related to the resolutions passed in the July 11 general council meeting,” said Thaarasu Shyam

He added that the BJP has been trying to bring the factions in the Dravidian majority in the state. It was not in favour of EPS to take over the party. Hence, it would have an adverse impact when the issue reaches the ECI, which has jurisdiction over administration of the political parties and quasi judicial authority as dispute circulars of political parties.

He further said the meeting of DMK leader and Chief Minister M K Stalin with OPS at the latter’s residence also has a lot of political message to EPS camp.