The AIADMK General Council expelled rival leader O Panneerselvam from the party’s primary membership and his position as treasurer on Monday, but the defiant leader said his rival Edappady K Palaniswami has no right to show him the door and instead announced the latter’s ‘expulsion’ from the party. A special resolution moved by senior leader Natham R Viswanathan to remove Panneerslvam and his supporters was unanimously adopted by the General Council members during its meeting at a marriage hall here.
Panneerselvam was accused of siding with the DMK regime, having ties with ruling party leaders, and working to weaken the AIADMK in the resolution. OPS acted against the interests, goals, and principles of the party. He took steps, including approaching police, to halt the June 23 General Council meeting, which he and Palaniswami jointly convened.
The AIADMK accused Panneerselvam of acting selfishly. Panneerselvam was kicked out of his position as treasurer and primary membership in the party. It also expelled his supporters, legislators R Vaithilingam and P H Manoj Pandian, as well as ex-MLA JCD Prabakar. Panneerselvam responded by stating that he was elected as Coordinator by “1.5 crore” party workers and that neither Palaniswami nor another leader, K P Munusamy, had the authority to expel him.
Panneerselvam condemned the two for expelling him “uniltaerally” and in violation of party rules, saying, “I expel them from primary membership in the AIADMK.” In response to reporters’ questions about the next steps, he said he would go to court with the support of party workers to seek justice.
Authorities sealed the AIADMK headquarters here on Monday following violence and vandalism between supporters of rival leaders EPS and OPS in and around the party office.
The Madras High Court on Monday rejected an application by AIADMK leader and former co-ordinator O Panneerselvam to stay the general council meeting, stating that the court cannot intervene in political party squabbles. On Monday morning, Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy issued the verdict, allowing the EPS faction to hold the GC meeting, the supreme decision-making body of Tamil Nadu’s main opposition party.
