Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s close aide V.K. Sasikala and deposed AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam on Wednesday paid tributes to the former AIADMK MP, K. Maya Thevar, at his residence in Chinnalapatti near Dindigul.
Maya Thevar passed away due to age-related illness at his residence on Tuesday. He was 87.
Ms Sasikala paid floral tributes and expressed her condolences to the family.
Speaking to media persons, Ms Sasikala recalled Maya Thevar’s victory in 1973 when he contested in the ‘two leaves’ symbol for the first time on behalf of AIADMK in the by-election to Dindigul Lok Sabha constituency. “The party will not forget him for securing AIADMK’s first victory. The credit for registering the symbol of the party also goes to him. His demise has deeply saddened me,” she said.
V.K. Sasikala pays tribute to AIADMKS first MP K. Maya Thevar pays tribute to former party MP K. Maya Thevar at Chinnalapatti near Dindigul on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: G. KARTHIKEYAN
Ms Sasikala also said she had planned to meet him last week and it was unfortunate that she could not.
To the many questions raised on the mayhem prevailing inside the party, Ms Sasikala said “it is her job” to coordinate all broken fragments of AIADMK and taste victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. “It will be the biggest duty I have towards the former Chief Ministers and AIADMK leaders M.G. Ramachandran and Ms Jayalalithaa.”
The recent internal chaos in the AIADMK was pre-planned by someone who would ‘benefit’ from it, which was DMK.
Mr. Panneerselvam, who visited an hour later to pay his tributes, told presspersons that thoughts of Maya Thevar would remain in every AIADMK party cadre until the end. He also recalled that the “undefeatable” ‘two leaves’ symbol was secured to the party thanks to Maya Thevar’s efforts.
R. Vaithilingam, Vellamandi N. Natarajan, R. Gopalakrishnan, V. Pugazhendhi and other supporters from Mr. Paneerselvam’s camp accompanied him to pay tributes.
