In a show of solidarity, seven rebel DMDK legislators on Friday attended the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislature party meeting as special invitees and expressed support for party general secretary Jayalalithaa who was elected legislature party leader.
“Our support and loyalty is for Puratchi Thalaivi Amma and we came here to express solidarity with her,” Madurai (Central) MLA, R Sundarrajan said emerging out of the meeting at AIADMK headquarters here.
He criticised DMDK founder-president Vijayakanth for targeting Ms. Jayalalithaa.
“Has he stood up for vital issues concerning the people of Tamil Nadu...he is targeting honourable Amma after winning polls (in 2011) with her party support and this is unacceptable,” he said.
K Tamil Azhagan, M Arun Subramanian, T Sureshkumar, R Santhi, K Pandiarajan and S Michael Rayappan were the six others who participated in the meet as they showed victory sign while leaving the AIADMK office.
C Arun Pandian, another rebel DMDK MLA could not turn up as he was held up in some work, Mr. Sundarrajan said.
The rebel MLAs were suspended by their party chief Vijayakanth in 2013 for defying the leadership.
AIADMK partymen expressed happiness over the rebel members presence, stating this was indicative of the wide support enjoyed by Ms. Jayalalithaa even in rival camps.
They had also attended a similar meeting when O Panneerselvam was elected the legislature party leader last year before becoming Chief Minister, after Ms. Jayalalitha’s conviction.
