Former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Tuesday said that he did not believe that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to keep the AIADMK cadre divided so as to make inroads into Tamil Nadu politics.
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To a question on whether the BJP government at the Centre was intimidating the AIADMK, Mr. Panneerselvam asserted that no one could threaten the party. The AIADMK was marching ahead with its ideals on the path shown to it by its founder M..G. Ramachandran, he said. The cadre base of the party was still strong even 50 years after the formation of the party. Though there were some squabbles here and there, the cadre stood united. No one could drive a wedge among them, Mr. Paneerselvam said, while speaking to reporters in Tiruchi on Tuesday.
Asked whether he would agree that the problem was only among the leaders, he said that such an illusion was being created. Everything would become alright in due course.
Responding to another question, Mr. Panneerselvam agreed that the AIADMK and the DMK were siblings in the State’s politics but their paths were different.
When his attention was drawn to AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran’s statement of his party being open for an electoral tie-up with the AIADMK to defeat the DMK, Mr. Panneerselvam said that he welcomed this. If there was an opportunity, he would meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his proposed visit to the State next week., Mr. Panneerselvam added.