OPS wants to continue the system of dual leadership, which he currently shares with EPS.
The Madras High Court will today hear a plea by AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam (or OPS) seeking to halt a July 11 meet of the party's General Council called by the opposing camp, led by joint coordinator E Palaniswamy (or EPS). This comes a day after OPS got a setback from the Supreme Court as he tries to stop his EPS from taking over the AIADMK, Tamil Nadu's main opposition party.
EPS wants to do away with the dual leadership that he shares with OPS -- and bring back the post of one supreme General Secretary -- by amending bylaws through the General Council, the prime decision-making body of the party. OPS wants the present system to continue and had already gone to the High Court, which on June 23 ordered a halt on the meeting or any "unannounced" resolutions. That halt was yesterday removed by the Supreme Court, effectively allowing the meeting.
In its interim order, the Supreme Court asked the OPS faction to make its submissions in two weeks.
Now, OPS will hope for relief again from the High Court as he has sought to stop the July 11 meeting from taking place altogether.
OPS fears takeover by EPS as last month's General Council did not ratify the election of dual leadership. OPS claims the General Council can be called only by both the coordinator (himself) and the joint coordinator (EPS), so the meeting is illegal. He also calls the appointment of a Presidium Chairman, who called for this meet, illegal. Citing other “violations” of party rules in a meeting last month, he has also written to the Election Commission.
The EPS camp argues that since the council meeting of last month did not ratify the election of both leaders, there is no dual leadership now.
The two leaders have been working under the dual leadership model as per a ceasefire adopted five years ago, when factionalism had threatened to break up the party after the death of the then chief minister J Jayalalitha in December 2016. The party has since lost power, and the infighting has got as bad as it was, if not worse.
If things work in favour of the EPS camp, there are plans to amend the party bylaws and make him Interim General Secretary, paving the way for formal elections in the party. There is speculation that the party may strip OPS of the Treasurer position he holds too.