OPS urges EC to conduct poll to elect new AIADMK chief

Challenging jailed V K Sasikala’s assumption as party boss, former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam on Wednesday urged the Election Commission to supervise a fresh AIADMK internal election so that a new general secretary is elected in a free and fair manner.

Till then, he wanted the poll panel to freeze the two-leaf symbol of the AIADMK.
The commission is expected to pronounce its order next week.

Panneerselvam, who made a personal appearance before the commission along with the MPs and MLAs backing him, demanded that the symbol should not be allotted to any candidate proposed by the rival faction till such time.

Panneerselvam, who was replaced by E K Palaniswami after he revolted against Sasikala, made his case before the poll panel on a day AIADMK deputy general secretary T T V Dinakaran’s candidature was announced to contest the by-poll to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from R K Nagar.

The constituency was represented by former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
Panneerselvam argued that the appointment of Sasikala as the party general secretary was null and void.

“According to our party’s bylaw, she (Sasikala) does not have the power to appoint and expel members of the party. She was expelled from the party for five years. How could she be elected as the general secretary? Our constitution dictates that under unforeseen circumstances, if a general secretary post lies vacant, the second seniormost person is elected to the post,” he said.