A day after the AIADMK executive council meeting ended inconclusively, the rift between O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi Palaniswami appears to have widened further.
On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam skipped a high profile review meeting called by Chief Minister Palaniswami to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the state and held discussion with his supporters at his Greenways road residence.
The parleys began early in the day, with party seniors R Vaithilingam, P.H. Manoj Pandian, K.P. Munusamy and few others arriving at the residence of Panneerselvam. Later, Vaithilingam, who was visibly upset, walked out of the house. Minutes later, he told the media waiting outside that everything was fine within the AIADMK. "There is absolutely no issue. The AIADMK government will not fall," he said.
A few hours later, the deputy chief minister's convoy was in place and he was all set to leave Chennai for his hometown Theni. Meanwhile, there were rumors of Panneerselvam launching his 'DharmaYudham' once again, like in February 2017. However, Panneerselvam chose to stay home after the meeting with his supporters. One of the party members told the waiting media that Panneerselvam has gone for lunch and meetings will resume in the evening.
In the evening, minister R.B. Udhayakumar went to meet Panneerselvam, indicating that the rift in the party may not settle even on October 7—the day the party is expected to announce its chief ministerial candidate. Sources in the AIADMK say the Panneerselvam has been stubborn about being the chief ministerial candidate. According to sources, he is trying to make sure that Palaniswami does not declare himself to be the candidate.
Meanwhile, Panneerselvam, sources say, is in secret parleys with the T.T.V. Dhinakaran faction, expecting the release of V.K. Sasikala before the election, as he had lost his stronghold in the party after the merger in 2017.
