All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) held a general body meeting with the district secretaries, AIADMK top leaders, MLA’s and cadres on 14th June in Chennai.
In the general body meeting the dual leadership struggle issue was raised by the party leaders and MLAs of the AIADMK party.
This dual leadership tenure between O Panneerselvam (Aiadmk Coordinator) and Edappadi Palaniswami (AIADMK deputy coordinator) have created a huge confusion in the minds of AIADMK cadres and supporters.
In the past several months, AIADMK has released their statements on their party in which sometimes both the leaders EPS & OPS would have signed. Several times there were statements in which OPS signature would only exist and sometimes EPS signature would only be there. This created a confusion between the party leaders, supporters and cadres. The fight between OPS and EPS is a long going fight. The party cadres, supporters, followers, leaders, MLAs have been raising the issue from past several months that the AIADMK leaders are not able to fight as opposition due to dual leadership for the party.
Later on, a senior leader and ex minister from Jayalalithaa’s cabinet raised the issue that the ally party BJP is trying to fill in the boots of AIADMK as the opposition party in Tamil Nadu. This has led a fresh controversy and big setback for AIADMK and then the party council decided to call a meeting.
The meeting persisted for four long hours in the AIADMK Headquarters in Chennai.
After the meeting, a senior leader and ex minister Jayakumar said, “The leaders and cadres have raised the solo leadership structure to be followed instead of dual leadership. He also quoted that MGR and Jayalalithaa has also followed the solo leadership structure which made them successful. The party will decide on who will be the single face for leadership of AIADMK. AIADMK will also be the ruling party in 2026”.
Now, both the top leaders Edappadi Palaniswamy and O Panneerselvam have been holding meetings in their different camps for the AIADMK single leadership.
As per the sources from AIADMK, the support for O Panneerselvam in the party has been decreasing since the past several years. But this cannot decide the party’s leadership. The decision will be out by 23rd June.
In all across Tamil Nadu, there are posters pasted in which some cadres have been supporting EPS and some have been supporting OPS.
In Chennai, posters supporting OPS have been pasted by supporters and OPS followers saying that O Panneerselvam is the people’s leader identified by Jayalalithaa.
In Salem, posters supporting Edappadi Palaniswamy have been pasted by the supporters and EPS followers saying that EPS is the only leader who can oppose DMK.
Now the decision of single party leadership is under discussion and the single leadership will be revealed on 23rd June 2022 in the next general body meeting.