Decision To Be Announced On October 7
Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com
Chennai:29.09.2020
Powerplay between deputy chief minister and AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and chief minister and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami over early announcement of CM candidate for the forthcoming assembly election was in full display during the party’s executive committee meeting convened on Monday morning.
After five hours of muscle flexing, arguments, and attempts to reason, deputy coordinator K P Munusamy came out to tell reporters that the CM candidate will be announced “by the leadership” on October 7. Both EPS and OPS neither “agreed nor disagreed” to the final decision, sources confirmed. A total of 276 members out of 294 invited, attended the meeting.
OPS argued he had been chosen to be chief minister by ‘Amma’ (former chief minister J Jayalalithaa) twice and EPS by her aide V K Sasikala. EPS pointed out that his deputy had been picked by Sasiakala too when Jayalalithaa passed away in December 2016. When it came to the subject of CM candidate, OPS and his supporters felt the selection should be made by a steering committee, yet to be constituted. EPS loyalists said the announcement should be made sooner rather than later.
Palaniswami is keen on being projected as the CM candidate, having steered the government for about three years, overcoming challenges thrown his way and showcasing his achievements. Sparks flew at the Monday meeting, after some 20 ministers, leaders and senior party functionaries spoke on the need to decide on the CM candidate soon.
“When OPS detailed his contributions for the party and government -- how he was chosen twice by Jayalalithaa for CM post, and his dharmayudh to rescue the party from the clutches of a family, EPS pointed out how the former had voted against his government in February 2017. He said OPS would have been held responsible if his government had been dissolved,” a senior leader, privy to the meeting said.
Panneerselvam sought to downplay the criticism by stating he and his supporters voted against the EPS government as part of his ‘dharmayudh’ against Sasikala and the chief minister chosen by her, and that at no time did he nurse a personal grudge against EPS.
Palaniswami recalled how Sasikala had told him, ministers P Thangamani and S P Velumani, besides OPS to choose a CM candidate. The trio told her she could go ahead with her choice and she settled for OPS. Panneerselvam said he merged with the EPS faction on the advice of PM Narendra Modi, and that the agreement was that he would be deputy CM for this term alone. For his part, Palaniswami said Modi had congratulated the government for effectively managing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier, OPS supporter and organising secretary, P H Manoj Pandian said, “Both EPS and OPS were like the two leaves and we need both to help the party win the election,” Pandian said.
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