AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam and co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday rejected the claim that there was a leadership vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics.
Addressing the party’s general council and executive committee separately, the two leaders took the view that the AIADMK had effectively filled the vacuum.
Without naming actor Rajinikanth, who has repeatedly stated that there is a leadership vacuum in the State, Chief Minister Palaniswami said there were those who kept talking about a political vacuum in Tamil Nadu when such a situation was not prevalent. The AIADMK, he said, will retain power when the Assembly election is held in 2021. “In a democratic country, anyone can start a political party. We are only opposed to [someone] starting a party to target others,” he said.
Mr. Palaniswami vowed to work against political opponents and ‘traitors’ to ensure his party’s victory in the impending local body polls. Repeatedly attacking Leader of the Opposition and DMK president M.K. Stalin, he said the DMK leader was ill-informed in his criticism of the government, adding that the State had won several awards instituted by various agencies.
He slammed AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran for working against the AIADMK, which was nurtured by its founder M.G. Ramachandran and former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam said there was no vetridam (vacuum), but only vetri (victory).
Earlier, the party meeting, which was presided over by presidium chairman E. Madhusudanan, passed 23 resolutions. Among them were resolutions urging the Centre to allocate sufficient funds to Tamil Nadu, swiftly clear dues to the State and exempt it from the ambit of NEET for medical admissions.
The meeting resolved to uphold State autonomy and the two-language policy. It demanded reservation for OBCs in the all-India quota in medical admissions.
Among the resolutions passed were one that urged the Centre to ensure equal rights for Tamils in neighbouring Sri Lanka and one that insisted that the Centre implement the Cauvery-Godavari and the Cauvery-Agniyar-South Vellar-Manimuthar-Vaigai-Gundar link schemes.
