EPS Detained As He Tries To Hold Strike At Tamil Nadu Assembly Over AIADMK Seat Feud

EPS wants rival OPS removed as party's deputy leader in Vidhan Sabha, but Speaker says he's examining the issue

Police today detained Leader of Opposition Edapaddi K Palaniswami ('EPS') and other AIADMK legislators as they attempted to hold a hunger strike outside the Tamil Nadu assembly over the Speaker not removing rival faction leader O Panneerselvam ('OPS') from the Deputy Opposition Leader's seat, right next to EPS, in the House.

The EPS faction, the dominant one of two, has chosen a new Deputy Leader and also written several letters asking for OPS to be seated elsewhere. These leaders had yesterday been evicted from the House for disrupting proceedings over the issue.

Speaker M Appavu has said he's examining it: "Only the Leader of Opposition is officially recognised. The deputy leader is an internal arrangement. Members can request a seat, but no one can order me to shift a person. That's the Speaker's prerogative."

Both EPS and OPS are former chief ministers who, until their battle became public earlier this year, jointly led the AIADMK after the death of J Jayalalitha. Several aspects of their fight are in court, but the EPS faction continues to have a stronger hold.