OPS Halts Merger Talks, Tells EC EPS Camp Can’t Use AIADMK Office

OPS said he will not hold merger talks with the EPS group until Sasikala & her relatives are expelled from the party

O Panneerselvam freezes merger talk with rival EPS faction until Sasikala and her relatives are ousted. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Chennai Vision)

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said on Friday that he will not hold talks with the rival group led by current CM Edappadi Palanisamy on the possibility of a merger until VK Sasikala and her relatives are officially expelled from the party.

On Friday, the OPS camp also requested the Election Commission to prevent the Edappadi Palanisamy faction from operating from the AIADMK office.

Besides, an EC official told PTI that the Panneerselvam faction’s counsel had submitted a fresh petition to the poll panel against Sasikala’s promotion to the post of interim general secretary of the party.

The Panneerselvam camp also declared that until the settlement of the dispute between the two factions over the control of the party, Sasikala should not be allowed to instruct AIADMK’s spokesperson Dr Namadhu MGR.

On 23 March, the EC had issued a provisional order freezing the AIADMK’s 'two leaves' election symbol, stating that the rival groups cannot use the party symbol and its name for the RK Nagar Assembly bypoll. The bypoll has since been cancelled and a fresh date for holding it is yet to be declared.

Panneerselvam, who was appointed party treasurer by Jayalalithaa, said that the EC should freeze the powers of AIADMK treasurer Dindugal Srinivsan, who has reportedly laundered crores of party funds.

The former CM said that merger talks with the EPS camp would resume only after Sasikala and Dinakaran are ousted from the party.

Speaking at at a press conference on Friday after a meeting with the EC, Panneerselvam declared:

How can we take a decision to enter into talks with them (the faction headed by Palanisamy) in such circumstances?

The group maintained secrecy on the party and candidate it will be supporting in the presidential election to be held in July.

(With inputs from IANS and PTI)