EPS-OPS fight: Power play at all-party meet

Chennai: The Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam groups brought their bitter battle to the all-party meeting convened in Chennai by the chief electoral officer to discuss Aadhaar linkage. On Monday, representatives of the two groups sat next to each other, but there was nary a word or smile. As the meeting was about to begin, Palaniswami’s representative and former minister D Jayakumar was seen taking the AIADMK nameplate and placing it in front of him. Panneerselvam loyalist and former MLA Kovai K Selvaraj looked on disdainfully.
Selvaraj, who was the early bird, took the first seat allotted to the AIADMK, closest to the CEO. Jayakumar and former deputy speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman, who arrived later, took the second and third seats. The CEO had invited only two representatives from each recognised party. Just before the meeting began, Jayakumar rose up from his seat and grabbed the AIADMK nameplate in front of Selvaraj and placed it before him. As cameramen clicked the subtle hostility on display gleefully, Selvaraj looked glum.