Two days after the AIADMK (PTA) and AIADMK (Amma) came together, leaders of the O. Panneerselvam faction said there is not much to complain about the current developments in the party.
After AIADMK deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran removed R.B. Udhayakumar and Rajan Chellappa from their party posts on Wednesday, leaders from the OPS camp said since the factions had now become one, it did not matter.
Party presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan told The Hindu: “Dhinakaran does not have any power to remove anyone from the party. Who is he? He is not a member of the party at all. Jayalalithaa removed him from the party.”
When asked if it was now acceptable for Mr. Panneerselvam to work with Mr. Udhayakumar, whom he had accused of being one of the persons responsible for him losing the CM’s post, Mr. Madhusudhanan said: “It does not matter. Now that we have become one, we will work with them. There should not be any problem.”
Former Minister K.P. Munusamy too sidestepped the question on Mr. Dhinakaran’s announcements. “We have all become one party now. What more is there to say? It won’t be right to comment,” he said.
General council meet
Meanwhile, the unified factions are expected to decide on the date for holding the general council meeting where a resolution removing Sasikala from her party post is likely to be announced.
Mr. Madhusudhanan said a date will be fixed once Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and Mr. Panneerselvam returned from the MGR centenary celebrations in Ariyalur.
On whether they would remove Sasikala from the party’s primary membership, he said it was for the two leaders to decide. “They (EPS and OPS) will decide on it and come to a conclusion,” he said.
