True cadres of AIADMK behind me, claims Panneerselvam amid leadership crisis
India Today
AIADMK leader Panneerselvam has claimed that party workers are behind him amid the leadership crisis in the party.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader O Panneerselvam on Sunday said that true cadres of the party are behind him amid the leadership crisis within the party.
"The cadres of Amma [Jayalalithaa] and MG Ramachandran [MGR] are behind him. I will always be with the cadres and work for them," OPS said in Madurai.
On June 23, during the General council meeting, the supporters of former Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami threw bottles at OPS as a ruckus ensued over demands for a single leadership. Since 2017, OPS and EPS have shared leadership responsibilities. But now, demand has risen to elect a single leader to the top post.
"It is a very unusual situation. All those involved in this will face the people' judgement soon," OPS said on Sunday.
Recently, Namadhu Amma, the AIADMK mouthpiece, removed OPS' name and also his image from the issues published after the general council meeting. Reacting to this, OPS said, "I don't know when my name was added and when it was removed from that newspaper. No one can remove me from the heart of Amma. In 2002, when Amma became the CM of Tamil Nadu she said that she was lucky to have a trusted cadre like Panneerselvam. I don't need another certificate."
On June 24, senior AIADMK leader and MP CV Shanmugam said that OPS and EPS have ceased to be the coordinator and co-coordinator of the party since the amended bylaw that led to their election last December was not approved by the general council.
"My future will be decided by the true cadres of Amma and the people will decide," OPS, who is now the treasurer of the party, said about his future in politics.
