EPS camp tells supporters not to press for general council

Chennai: Despite reportedly urging loyalists not to sign a letter seeking an AIADMK general council meeting, the Edappadi K Palaniswami camp appears to be losing its grip within the party organisation. Multiple sources told TOI that the rebel faction has already secured signatures from nearly two-fifths of council members and is preparing to formally press the leadership to convene the meeting soon, signalling a deepening internal challenge to the AIADMK general secretary.Sources said members, who signed earlier papers, are being sent letter templates by the EPS group asking them to state that their previous letter was invalid, since the party high command made no announcement on the matter. "The rebel camp, led by former ministers C Ve Shanmugam and S P Velumani, however, had already collected more than the required number of signatures to call a special general council meeting. It is just a matter of few days to press EPS to convene it," said a senior leader. Meanwhile, assembly speaker J C D Prabhakar told reporters that petitions submitted by both factions, each seeking the disqualification of the other, were under his review and that a decision would be taken in due course. "On the eve of the floor test, Palaniswami invited the eight secretaries of the Chennai district units and sought their support, which they extended. The situation, however, remains fluid now," said a source privy to the developments. The rebels are up against Palaniswami as he remained firm on projecting himself as the chief ministerial candidate even while alliance talks were underway with TVK ahead of the polls. DMK had proposed VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan's name for CM post following the poll debacle, sources said. Palaniswami has been meeting supporters for a third consecutive day at his Greenways Road residence in Chennai after removing 26 of the party's 82 district secretaries, including 12 MLAs and former ministers, from their posts for defying his whip and voting in support of TVK govt during the floor test. He also appointed 17 new district secretaries. On Saturday, he removed two more secretaries from Pudukottai East and Tenkasi North.