Amid the infighting within the All India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazgham (AIADMK), former chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami was elected as the interim general secretary of the party on Monday, 11 July, after the party revived the post of general secretary and terminated dual leadership.
Soon after the announcement, the executive council members passed a resolution and expelled O Pannerselvam and his supporters from the party.
The party has changed its display picture on Twitter to one with only EPS in it.
EPS has also formally submitted the amended AIADMK Party Constitution in the General Council meet to ECI.
Earlier in the morning, the Madras High Court allowed the AIADMK party's general council meeting to be held at 9 am, rejecting OPS' plea. The court said that the will of the majority has to prevail and thus, it will not interfere.
OPS' supporters R Vaithilingam, JCD Prabhakar, and PH Manoj Pandian too have been expelled from the AIADMK
OPS sharply retorted saying, "Edappadi Palaniswami and KP Munusamy have acted against the law and so I announce that they have been expelled from the primary membership of the party."
OPS said that he will challenge this decision and appeal to the higher court
The elections for the post of the general secretary will be held within four months
Ahead of the meeting, factions of EPS and OPS clashed outside the party headquarters, leading to lathi-charge by the police
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'Proved That Our Info Was True’: EPS
Speaking on the clash, EPS said, "Our party cadre gave a complaint at Royapettah Police Station that anti-social elements might enter Party HQ and they asked for protection. Ex-Min D Jayakumar also gave a complaint to Chennai Commissioner to provide security to Party HQ. It's proved that our info was true."
He added that the Royapettah police and Commissioner's office did not take steps to provide proper security to the party headquarters.
EPS Pays Floral Tribute to MGR, Jayalalithaa
AIADMK leader and former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami paid floral tribute at the MGR memorial and to former CM J Jayalalithaa at Jaya Memorial in Chennai.
‘General Council Meeting Done Out of Personal Interest’: VK Sasikala
Stating that Monday's General Council meeting was held for "personal interest", expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala said, "The general council meeting held today is definitely invalid because such events should not be held when the case filed by me in the High Court is pending."
She said that former Tamil Nadu CM MGR had started a separate party because of the wrong situation in DMK.
"The same situation should not happen to anyone in the party he started. He created a situation where General Secretary should be elected by the grassroots workers, now they're not working in that way," she was quoted as saying by ANI.
AIADMK Changes Party's Profile Picture on Twitter
The party has changed its display pictures on Twitter to one with only EPS in it.