CHENNAI: AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament House in New Delhi for 25 minutes, and discussed a range of issues, including internal party matters, alleged ‘vendetta politics’ of the three-month-old DMK regime and welfare schemes for Tamil Nadu, multiple sources told TOI. The leaders submitted a memorandum seeking the Centre’s intervention in projects concerning the state.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of the DMK government’s directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption casting its net wide and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa aide V K Sasikala's aggressive moves to attempt a takeover of the AIADMK. “The two leaders sought an appointment with the PM, who readily agreed to meet them. The meeting in Modi’s chamber in Parliament House lasted 30 minutes,” said a reliable source. After five minutes of exchanging pleasantries and presenting the memorandum along with party colleagues, the leaders were closeted with Modi. “They discussed a range of issues, including DMK targeting former AIADMK Ministers," said the source.
Palaniswami later told reporters in Delhi that the visit was to thank Modi for his poll campaign, besides urging him to provide adequate Covid vaccines to the state. In the memorandum, the leaders urged the PM not to give consent to Karnataka's Mekedatu dam plan, to speedily implement Cauvery-Godavari interlinking and road sector projects of the NHAI and bring back the boats of Indian fishermen from Sri Lankan custody. On the cadres and leaders shifting allegiance to the DMK, EPS said, “No cadre is upset, otherwise our alliance would not have won 75 seats. Our party remains strong.” The leaders could not meet Union home minister Amit Shah until late evening.
This is the first visit of the AIADMK leadership to Delhi after the party’s poll debacle. The leaders chose to stay at the Tamil Nadu House. EPS associate S P Velumani and OPS loyalist P Manoj Pandian accompanied the leaders. The EPS camp has been firm against the reinduction of Sasikala into the party, whereas OPS is said to be keen considering their caste affinity. In Delhi, Palaniswami, who had asserted there was 100% no chance of taking back Sasikala, declined to entertain queries about her.
“It remains unclear whether Modi, who was instrumental in bringing OPS and EPS together in 2017, reacted to the developments,” said a former minister. During his visit to Chennai ahead of the assembly election, Amit Shah brought the curtains down on talks of Sasikala’s reinduction into the AIADMK, after EPS stood firm.
