Some of the AIADMK leaders from the western districts, who have thrown their weight behind Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, have expressed anguish over the manner in which he was allegedly treated by the party leadership.
Kavundampalayam constituency MLA V.C. Aarukutty, a two-time legislator, said that all along, Mr. Panneerselvam had remained a party loyalist and would continue to do so. In times of crisis, former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had identified only Mr. Panneerselvam as her successor. And, Mr. Panneerselvam had proved to be an able and responsive Chief Minister, Mr. Aarukutty said, adding that it would be wrong to suggest that he made the decision for personal gain.
Former Agriculture Minister S. Damodaran, who had previously represented the Kinathukadavu constituency, told The Hindu over phone that the people were with Mr. Panneerselvam. “I want to respect the people’s sentiments,” he said, adding that he was planning to meet Mr. Panneerselvam on Thursday.
At Kaveripattinam, where the very first voice of dissent broke out through former minister K.P. Munusamy, fireworks lit up the night skies soon after Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam’s interaction with journalists concluded at the Marina on Tuesday night. At the break of dawn on Wednesday, a few hundred metres away from a deserted AIADMK office, supporters of O. Panneerselvam burst crackers in support of their “Annan OPS”, while supporters of Mr. Munusamy distributed sweets.
