Chennai: “There is no general secretary now,” fisheries minister D. Jayakumar said on Monday when asked to comment on objection raised by TTV Dhinakaran faction that the general council of the party scheduled on Tuesday was “illegal” since it cannot be convened without the approval of the general secretary.
Jayakumar, one of the most vociferous critics of Dhinakaran in the EPS-OPS camp, punched holes in the objections raised by the rival camp, saying the general council has been conveyed according to the rules laid out in the AIADMK constitution.
“The AIADMK constitution and the by-laws say that if one-fifth of the general council members want general council meeting, it can be convened. So, the general council (convened on Tuesday) is legal and we have followed all rules while convening the meeting,” Jayakumar told reporters on Monday morning.
“There is no general secretary now…we don't have (a) general secretary now,” he shot back when reporters pointed to him that Dhinakaran camp maintains that geceral Council cannot be convened without the approval of the General Secretary (V.K. Sasikala).
Embattled Dhinakaran has been maintaining that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam have no authority to convene the general council and has asked “AIADMK cadres to stay away from the meeting.”
Jayakumar's statement gives a sneak preview of what could happen on Tuesday at the meeting with sources saying that a resolution proposing removal of Sasikala as “interim general secretary” will be moved and passed. Removing Sasikala from the post and keeping her family away from the party and the government was one of the major pre-conditions set by Panneerselvam for merging his faction with the EPS camp.
However, Jayakumar refused to comment on the agenda of the general council and executive committee meeting on Tuesday, saying it would be “improper” on his part to speculate what would happen.
“All your questions will be answered tomorrow. I won't be able to say anything since everything should be collective decision of the party. Wait till tomorrow,” he said, when asked whether Sasikala and Dhinakaran would be sacked on Tuesday.
