In a setback to AIADMK in the upcoming bypoll in Vilathikulam constituency, former MLA G.V. Markandeyan, who was denied a ticket, on Tuesday rebelled against Deputy Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam.
The former MLA, who has been at loggerheads with Information and Publicity Minister Kadambur C. Raju, also stepped down as party spokesperson.
After holding a meeting with his supporters, he told reporters that the Minister did not have the ability to steer the party to victory. Pointing out that the Minister won by a margin of just around 400 votes in the last Assembly election, he said that he should restrict his work to Kovilpatti.
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Further, he said that he would not accept the offer even if he were declared a candidate by Mr. Paneerselvam at this juncture. “He has given a ticket to his son, but hasn’t given a seat to others,” he said. “Fifteen days ago, the Chief Minister said that I would be given the ticket,” he claimed. But pressure from Mr. Raju made the party leadership change its mind, he added. Mr. Markandeyan said that a decision on whether he or anyone else would contest the bypoll would be taken soon. He claimed that he and his supporters would get more votes than the candidate put up by Mr. Raju.
He said that all factions of AIADMK, including the one led by TTV Dinakaran, should come together and form a unified party under a new leadership.
“TTV Dinakaran is also part of the AIADMK. We should contest the election as a party that existed under the leadership of Amma (Jayalalithaa).”
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