Single leadership issue widens rift between OPS, EPS ahead of June 23 AIADMK general body meeting

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 18 : Amid controversy over the issue of single leadership in AIADMK between party coordinator O Paneerselvam (OPS) and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palanisamy (EPS), the former held an "individual meeting" with his supporters and district secretaries at the party office here.
Outside the party office, OPS and EPS supporters raised slogans praising their leaders and there was slogan war for a few minutes.
One of the EPS supporters was allegedly attacked by the OPS supporters all of sudden and he left the party office immediately. There was a poster war too between OPS and EPS supporters all over Chennai on the single leadership issue.
Last week at the district secretaries meeting at the party headquarters in Chennai Royapet, the issue was raised by many district secretaries and a demand was made for single leadership, party spokesperson and former minister Jayakumar later said.
Today morning O Panneerselvam (OPS) announced that he will be consulting with district functionaries and supporters in Chennai at a private hotel but it was cancelled and around 11:30 am OPS reached AIDMK headquarters and held an "individual meeting" with his supporters and district secretaries.
After the individual meeting, OPS joined the Resolution Committee meeting with senior executives and former ministers Ponnian, Vaithilingam, D Jayakumar, Vellamandi Natarajan and committee members ahead of the party's general body meeting on June 23.
After the meeting got over, the party organisational secretary and senior leader Ponnian said that the meetings were only to set the agenda for the general council meeting that will be held in Chennai. He said partially the agenda has been set and no conversation on single or dual leadership was held today.
He said no party bylaws are to be amended now. Ponnaian further added that he hasn't spoken to both EPS and OPS yet.
Meanwhile, senior AIADMK leader and former minister Senkotayan also met OPS at his house on Chennai Greenways Road.
O Panneerselvam had on Thursday opposed the scheme of "single leadership" to pilot the party proposed by functionaries while stressing that this is not the right time for the plan of action.
EPS had on Friday held a show of strength in northern Tamil Nadu after attempts to oppose a single leadership proposal.
The post of party general secretary was last held by AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa who passed away in 2016. The party later declared her a permanent general secretary and formed a dual leadership structure.