Edappadi K Palaniswami may challenge O Panneerselvam in race for party leadership !

It may not be a cake walk for O Panneerselvam in assuming leadership of the AIADMK as and when election is held for the post of General Secretary.

As per the terms of reunion of the Edappadi K Palaniswami and OPS camps, Palaniswami was to head the government and OPS the party. Now as the future of the government is in an uncertain state, EPS supporters are prodding him to have a rethink on giving up claims over the party leadership. They want to throw his hat in the ring and campaign for the GS post despite the fact that OPS is more popular among the AIADMK cadres.

EPS is playing his cards close to his chest though.”He hasn’t revealed his mind even to his confidants. The merger has changed the dynamics of the game. There is a growing discontent among the EPS supporters that we have surrendered all our rights to OPS when it comes to party affairs,” said a senior leader in the EPS camp.

The EPS camp, during the merger talks, had demanded signing rights for EPS also – in his capacity as Joint Coordinator of the steering committee – on Form A at the time of elections. They said that form is issued by party leadership to authorize candidates to use the party symbol for election. As Coordinator of the steering committee, such rights would automatically rest upon OPS. It is also open to debate as to whether both the Coordinator and Joint Coordinator of the committee could sign on the form. Above all, even the validity of the committee is being questioned by the TTV camp as the party bylaw does not provide for it.

Fight for prominence by erstwhile group leaders may undo the unity worked out with much difficulty. To keep the party united, Edappadi himself may have to shoot down his candidature.

In all probability, only a properly held election for the post of GS will find a lasting solution to the leadership crisis in the party. While the party bylaw necessitates giving voting rights to every cadre of the party to elect the GS, it is silent on the modalities of conducting the election.

“Since the bylaw is silent on the election procedure, the general council should formulate rules for the same. We hope to give some shape to this in the September 12 council meeting,” said a senior leader in the erstwhile OPS camp.

There is also a big question mark over the fate of the September 12 general council meeting, convened to remove V K Sasikala from the GS post.

Sources in T T V Dhinakaran camp said that they were planning to move court to obtain a stay on the general council as only the General Secretary V K Sasikala had powers to convene the general council meet.

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