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OPS faction likely to demand steering committee at AIADMK executive meeting on Monday

Sources in the AIADMK close to Chief Minister EPS tell TNM that their faction will likely oppose the demand.

Senior AIADMK leaders are readying themselves for a second bout of discussions regarding the formation of the 11-member steering committee, after talks regarding the same failed on September 18. The executive committee meeting is set to be held on Monday with factions backing Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. Sources in the AIADMK however tell TNM that the EPS faction is unlikely to agree to the formation of the committee.

The Executive Committee (EC) has been called to discuss issues regarding the party after the earlier meeting became a heated discussion. The meeting on Monday will be chaired by the AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan. Several issues currently eclipse the party’s path to the polls, chief among which is a power tussle between EPS and OPS. In the previous meeting, OPS had demanded that the steering committee, which was one of the conditions for his rejoining the party in August 2017, be formed and members from his faction inducted into this committee.

The EC may also be a chance to decide on the date to convene the General Council, the party’s highest policy making body. The meeting is also likely to be influenced by the upcoming release of former AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala.

“The focus is however going to be the demand for the steering committee,” says an AIADMK leader. “The OPS faction wants the steering committee to be formed because they want more power in the decision making process. This is a way for OPS to have control over the government’s ongoings. He will expect leaders from his support system to be inducted into the 11-member committee,” he adds.

EPS, according to sources, is against the very idea of a steering committee.

“The CM believes that a steering committee will not work for a party like the AIADMK. It has traditionally been led by a single leader and having a 11-member committee will create more chaos, confusion and delay in decision making, is his view,” says the AIADMK leader. “Additionally, inducting members into the committee will create several problems,” he adds.

The party will have to see that the caste representation is satisfactory and that both factions are well represented.

“So far, the Chief Minister has pointed out that even during the rebellion, OPS had only 10% of the MLAs backing him. So if the committee is formed there will be further debates on which leaders should hold positions, especially considering there are leaders in the party senior to even OPS and EPS,” says the leader. “So far, a majority of the ministers and the high command see the steering committee as a very divisive tool. So the demand is likely to be discussed but not immediately brought into force.”

Source: The News Minute