Close on the heels of V.K. Sasikala’s return to Tamil Nadu, AIADMK co-coordinator and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, without naming her, indicated that the party was not ready for any compromise with her family.
At a rally in Krishnagiri on Wednesday, he called Ms. Sasikala’s nephew and AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran and “others” as “conspirators scheming to take over the AIADMK”. The AIADMK was a cadre-based party, he said, and “we will never allow a ‘family’ to take over the party and rule the State.”
Mr. Palaniswami, who had fallen out with Ms. Sasikala, the former interim general secretary of the party, after she was jailed in a corruption case, said there were some conspirators scheming to take control of the AIADMK. “In 2017, when I took charge as the Chief Minister, the AIADMK was functioning well until some conspirators schemed to lure away 18 MLAs. You know who they are. But the AIADMK remained united. They kept silent for four years, roamed around and now they are back,” he said. “You know, whom I am talking about — T.T.V. Dhinakaran,” he said.
Lauds ex-Minister
Interestingly, he lauded former Minister and AIADMK deputy coordinator K.P. Munusamy, who hails from the region. Mr. Munusamy was the first to trigger a revolt against Ms. Sasikala’s family and then against Mr. Palaniswami himself in support of former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam.
Later, Mr. Palaniswami accused DMK leader M.K. Stalin of running a “defamatory campaign” against the AIADMK. “But the coming election will put an end to the dynastic politics of the DMK once and for all,” he said.
