AIADMK Leaders Edappadi Palaniswami & O Panneerselvam Elected To Party's Top Posts

O Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palaniswami were present at the party headquarters during the announcement and they expressed their gratitude to AIADMK party members. 

AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and Co-Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami at Party HQ (File Photo)

Chennai: AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami were elected unopposed as party coordinator and co-coordinator, respectively on Monday. Based on the internal polls held after five years, C Ponnaiyan, the election official from the party, declared the results on Monday at AIADMK headquarters in Royapettah. 

According to a report on IANS, Ponnaiyan said that there was only one nomination each for posts of coordinator and joint coordinator in accordance with party bylaw Rule 20-A (II) and both the leaders are elected unopposed.

O Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palaniswami were present at the party headquarters during the announcement and they expressed their gratitude to AIADMK party members. 

Earlier, the two leaders filed their nomination papers on Saturday and several senior office-bearers, Ministers, and district secretaries also presented the nomination paper to support both the leaders. 

However, there was a controversy on Friday after an AIADMK senior member was manhandled for trying to file nominations opposing the party leaders. A veteran AIADMK leader, Ompodi C Prasad Singh, a founding member of the party, reportedly wanted to contest for the post of coordinator of AIADMK. He reached the party headquarters on Friday and wanted to get the nomination papers but he was refused to be given the nomination papers and was manhandled by the party cadre. 

Meanwhile, ahead of the elections, the AIADMK executive committee changed the bylaws of the party to strengthen the dual leadership. As per the changed bylaws, the AIADMK rested the power to elect or remove the party leaders to general council members with over 3,000 members.