Former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami alone can take on the DMK in future, said his supporter and former Minister R.B. Udhayakumar.
Speaking to reporters in Madurai, the sitting AIADMK legislator said O. Panneerselvam should understand the sentiments of 1.5 crore cadre and functionaries, and their support for the [unitary] leadership of Mr. Palaniswami. “This is the wish of the sympathisers and the general public, who have always been with the party in the past.” he said.
“This is the need of the hour for the party. Hence, we have to adapt to the changes,” he said and contended the “automatic choice” of everyone in the party [to lead the organisation] was Mr. Palaniswami.
According to him, the party during the Chief Ministership of Mr. Palaniswami, in the footsteps of its founder M.G. Ramachandran and his successor Jayalalithaa, had taken the State to a new high by ushering in development and projects such as 11 medical colleges and the AIIMS in Madurai.
When such was the reality, the recent acts of Mr. Panneerselvam had come as a shock. Very recently, after asking the police to stop the general council from being held, he attended the meeting. Still, Mr. Palaniswami welcomed him. However, in a bid to create confusion, Mr. Panneerselvam walked out of the meeting. This was disgraceful for his stature, Mr. Udhayakumar claimed.
“No one in the past had emerged victorious after fighting the leadership in the party,” he said, recalling the fate of S.D. Somasundaram, who had challenged MGR, and Su. Thirunavukarasar, who took on Jayalalithaa. He hoped that Mr. Panneerselvam would not commit the same mistake.
‘Singing praises’
Criticising Mr. Raveendranath Kumar, son of Mr. Panneerselvam and Lok Sabha MP from Theni, for “singing praises of the DMK government” and meeting Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, he said, the party cadre and senior leaders did not like it. The AIADMK had always pointed out the mistakes committed by the DMK, which was the prime reason the people had remained with the AIADMK, he said.
