A day after the AIADMK (Amma) faction announced its support to the BJP’s Presidential candidate, Ramnath Kovind, the AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) followed suit and backed his candidature.
According to the party leader O. Panneerselvam, BJP president Amit Shah had spoken to him and had sought his support for Mr. Kovind’s candidature. [Prime Minister Narendra Modi had contacted AIADMK (Amma) headquarters secretary and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to seek support for the BJP’s candidate.]
“Based on the request made by Mr. Amit Shah, we had a meeting of our MLAs and MPs. Considering the track record of Mr. Kovind, we arrived at the unanimous decision to support him,” Mr. Panneerselvam told journalists on Thursday.
When asked about the AIADMK (Amma) extending support to Mr. Kovind, he repeated that his party had decided to support the BJP’s candidate based on Mr. Shah’s request and Mr. Kovind’s credentials. “We have the confidence that he will be a good administrator,” he said. Later in the day, a press release said Mr. Shah thanked Mr. Panneerselvam on the phone for backing Mr. Kovind. Meanwhile, both Mr. Palaniswami and Mr. Panneerselvam left for New Delhi to extend their support to Mr. Kovind.
TNCC chief flays decision
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Su. Tirunavukkarasar has hit out at the AIADMK (Amma) and AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) for extending their support to the BJP’s candidate. “It is very disheartening to see the divided AIADMK competing with each other to support the BJP’s Presidential candidate. Both the factions have taken this decision out of selfish motive rather than taking this decision in the interest of the State,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
