In an overwhelming show of support for former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, hundreds of AIADMK cadre took to the streets of his home town of Periyakulam, calling for his return as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Theni, with party cadre and members of the public taking out rallies in support of their cause.
In Theni, over 500 supporters of Mr. Panneerselvam picketed the Dindigul-Kumuli Highway, condemning the Sasikala faction for allegedly harassing him.
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They appealed to all the MLAs in the district to extend their support and cast their vote in favour of Mr. Panneerselvam, warning that otherwise, they risk losing the support of their constituents.
The majority of the agitators were women. The protesters raised slogans against Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and other Minsters. The protest led to traffic disruption for over 45 minutes on the highway.
Over 80 police personnel, led by Additional Superintendent of Police K. Palanisamy, were deployed for crowd control.
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The agitators were arrested and subsequently released.
Protest in Periyakulam
Over 200 AIADMK cadre and supporters of Mr. Panneerselvam took out a massive rally in his home town of Periyakulam. The rally started at Thevar statue and culminated at Valluvar statue after passing through the prime roads of Vadakarai and Thenkarai.
Over the past week, a large contingent of AIADMK cadre in Bodi, Theni and Periyakulam have erected banners, taken out rallies and observed fast in support of Mr. Panneerselvam.
Meanwhile, in Madurai, scores of supporters of Mr. Panneerselvam, led by former Madurai Corporation zonal chairman P. Salaimuthu, were detained by the city police when they t ried to take out a procession.