Edappadi Palanisami is AIADMK’s Chief Ministerial candidate for 2021 polls

Edappadi Palanisami (right) with his deputy O Pannerselvam at an event. (file photo)

Ending weeks of speculation over the AIADMK’s chief ministerial candidate, incumbent Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami (EPS) has been chosen to lead the party in the 2021 Assembly elections, his deputy O Pannerselvam (OPS) announced on Wednesday morning after a meeting of party leaders in Chennai.

A 11-member steering committee, a key demand of the OPS faction since merging with EPS camp in 2017, has been constituted to oversee the election campaign and party affairs. Five of the members are from the camp of OPS, who was in direct race with EPS for the top role.

AIADMK leaders Dindigul Srinivasan, Thangamani, SP Velumani, D Jayakumar, CV Shanmugam, R Kamaraj, KCT Prabhakaran, PS Manoj Pandian, PA Mohan, KA Gopalakrishnan, K Manickam are part of the panel.

There has been intense speculation whether the party would name the candidate as previously planned on October 7 as the OPS camp was not on board with the decision to back EPS for the top post.

ON Monday, the AIADMK leadership had met at the party headquarters but failed to reach a consensus over the CM candidate. Hundreds of cadres had gathered in front of the party office, which was decorated with banners and posters. Supporters of the rival EPS and OPS factions raised slogans for their leaders. A similar episode had played out a few weeks ago, when OPS had called for an emergency meeting.

However, in recent days, OPS hinted he might drop from the race as he had so far taken “decisions” only considering the welfare of the Tamil Nadu people and AIADMK cadres.

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