OPS, EPS to hold separate meetings to mark Jayalalithaa's 6th death anniversary

Chennai, Dec 4: The infighting in AIADMK will be out on the streets on Monday, as the day marks the sixth death anniversary of former Chief Minister and AIADMK leader, J. Jayalalithaa.

While former Chief Minister and deposed AIADMK leader, O. Paneerselvam (OPS), will take out a march from Chepauk Guest House to Jayalalithaa's memorial and administer an oath to his supporters, the interim general secretary of the party and former Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palansiwami (EPS), will hold a separate meeting with his supporters.

Sources in the AIADMK told IANS that EPS will also administer an oath to his supporters.

Interestingly, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, and his aunt V.K. Sasikala, who is the former interim general secretary of the AIADMK, will take out a rally from the Anna square.

D. Jayakumar, AIADMK leader and former minister who is close to EPS, told mediapersons, "There is no split in the AIADMK and the party is led by EPS. Some people were expelled from the party because they were traitors who tried to have a deal with the DMK."

During last year's death anniversary programmes for Jayalalithaa, there was stone pelting on the cars of senior leaders of AIADMK and AMMK.

The leaders of AIADMK will sport black shirts on Monday during the anniversary events.

While OPS is a powerful leader of the Thevar community and both Dhinakaran and Sasikala are from the same community, the Thevar community elders have taken up the matter of a unified AIADMK with the national leadership of the BJP.

The possibilities of the BJP's central leadership intervening in the matter are high after the Gujarat elections. The BJP does not want the AIADMK to wither away and provide the DMK the whole Dravidian political space in Tamil Nadu.