AIADMK names EPS in-charge, calls OPS an ‘epitome of betrayal’

“Of the 75 district secretaries, 65 of them agreed with the decision to appoint EPS in-charge of party administration. Four of them were not there because they were sick. Now, only six people are left in the OPS camp,” Jayakumar said, when asked if the move was legally valid.

The meeting held at party headquarters was chaired by Presidium Chairman Tamil Magan Hussain , EPS and senior leader K P Munusamy. OPS was not present at the meeting as he was away in his hometwon, Theni.

Jayakumar said that a decision about the top post would be made at the general council. “But it is confidential, can’t be talked about right now,” he said.

Asked about OPS and his role in the party system, Jayakumar said, “Section 20(7) of the bylaw explains why the administrative control was given to EPS in absence of coordinators. These are some of the most basic rules of the party. I’m not sure if OPS doesn’t know about it or is just pretending to be ignorant.”

He called OPS the “most blatant example of betrayal”. “Since the beginning, everyone has known about several instances in which he betrayed the party…,” he said.

Jayakumar also slammed OPS’s son O P Raveendranath, who is the only MP for AIADMK, referring to the latter’s recent meeting with Chief Minister M K Stalin and his comments praising the DMK government’s “hard work”.

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Jayakumar also made it clear that OPS’s name was taken out of the founders’ column on the masthead of AIADMK’s mouthpiece Namadhu Amma for “betraying the party’s interests”.

After OPS reached Theni on Sunday night, the majority faction decided to call a meeting for Monday. “It was a quick answer to OPS, who tried to get BJP involved in our party (affairs/crisis) again…,” a senior AIADMK leader said, referring to OPS’s Delhi trip last week that reportedly aimed at seeking help from BJP, which is an ally of the AIADMK in the state, to resolve the crisis in the party. The BJP, however, is seemingly distancing itself from OPS as the majority is rallying behind EPS.