In an effort to cement himself as the leader of the AIADMK (Amma) party, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday said party cadre would get power and position if they show loyalty to the leadership.
Addressing MGR’s birth centenary celebrations near here, he said the AIADMK was still formidable because of cadre who followed former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa.
“Like [it was with] MGR and Amma, if you are loyal to the leadership, positions will come to you. Soon, the time will come to take up several leadership positions,” he said.
Chosen as the Chief Minister by party general secretary V.K. Sasikala after she was sentenced to four years jail in a disproportionate assets case, Mr. Palaniswami projected himself as the leader of the party, after deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran was sidelined. Narrating the story of how a dove saved its group by selecting a cote in a banyan tree in a jungle after finding that the temple they were in was to be renovated and then from a vulture in the forests, the Chief Minister said they (party cadre) could not have escaped [the vultures] if they had acted individually. MGR and Amma were great leaders who ruled the party with immense power, he said asking the partymen to “stay united” and “follow the leader”.
Earlier at Coimbatore airport, he said the State government would continue to urge the Centre to exempt Tamil Nadu from the NEET. As part of it, five State Ministers had met the Prime Minister.
About reports of MLA V.C. Aarukutty planning to join his faction, the Chief Minister said that there was only one faction and he welcomed the return of MLAs.
In response to a question on actor Kamal Haasan’s recent statements, Mr. Palaniswami said he would respond after the actor takes the political plunge.
