Fight for Amma's legacy: EPS Vs OPS battle plays on, single leader demand accepted

The AIADMK General Council meeting here on Thursday rejected all the 23 proposed resolutions and announced that the one and only demand of GC members is to bring in a system of a single leadership for the party, favouring Joint Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami.

As soon as the meet commenced amid chaotic scenes of slogan shouting, the process of passage of already decided resolutions were taken up. The first of them was proposed by Coordinator O Panneerselvam and seconded by Palaniswami, who addressed the former as 'brother' in his brief remarks.

Soon, senior leader C Ve Shanmugam who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha announced that all resolutions "are rejected by the General Council." Deputy Secretary K P Munusamy said all the GC members have rejected all the 23 proposed resolutions. "Their one and only demand is for a single leadership." When such a resolution favouring a single leadership (favouring EPS) is taken up and passed, all other resolutions would be adopted as and when the GC is convened in future, he added.

ALSO WATCH: WATCH | Supporters dress up as Jayalalithaa and MGR ahead of crucial AIADMK meet

AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam on Thursday walked out of the party's General Council meeting here after it stuck to the single leadership demand and favoured his rival and party Joint Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).

As EPS was honoured with a decorated crown, a sword and sceptre by supporters amid chants favouring him, OPS along with his supporters including Deputy Secretary R Vaithilingam moved out of the hall and left the premises. The GC meet, that witnessed chaotic scenes was over within 40 minutes after it started.

B Valarmathi, a senior office-bearer and a former Minister sung a song from party founder M G Ramachandran's movie and said, 'a leader will emerge' apparently hailing EPS. The GC meet, which stuck to the one and only demand of making EPS the supreme party leader, turned out to be a full show of strength of the Palaniswami camp with OPS followers heavily outnumbered.

OPS, as Panneerselvam is known, was seated close to EPS on the dais when the GC burst into the single leadership chorus. The party announced that the GC would again meet on July 11. PTI VGN SA SA