R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, SEPT 30
Row over the CM face of AIADMK in the 2021 assembly election further widened and openly came to light on Wednesday, as the Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam’s name was neglected in the invitation of Solid Waste Management launch and also in the two-page advertisement released in prominent newspapers.
Adding oil to the fire, some senior ministers are openly supporting EPS as CM’s face. The State Forest Minister Dindigul Srinivasan rooted for Chief Minister K Palaniswami to be projected as the AIADMK’s face for the 2021 assembly election while his Cabinet colleagues sought to downplay differences in the party over the leadership issue.
AIADMK Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who has also staked his claim for being the chief ministerial candidate of the party in the polls next year, for the second consecutive day held discussions with party leaders at his residence here. Forest Minister ‘Dindigul’ C Sreenivasan said that there is “no contest or race” in the party on who should be the chief ministerial candidate for the election.
“The next government will also be that of the AIADMK and Chief Minister will be Palaniswami,” Sreenivasan, a party veteran, told reporters at Dindigul.
The senior Minister, batting for Palaniswami assumes significance since the party had said it would announce the chief ministerial candidate on October 7 after the incumbent and Panneerselvam crossed swords over the issue at the party’s executive committee meeting held on Monday.
Sreenivasan, however, added a formal declaration shall be made on October 7 as announced earlier.
Senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said, “No motives should be attributed just because the deputy chief minister’s name did not appear in the invitation,” and ruled out differences saying there is “no problem.”
After the deliberations at his residence, Panneerselvam, also chairman of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, presided over a meeting of the body.
Former Minister Natham R Viswanathan, party deputy coordinator K P Munusamy and former MP P H Manoj Pandian were among those who held parleys with Panneerselvam on Wednesday.
Notably, in the solid waste management project launch, a voice-over, announcing the arrival of Palaniswami, showered encomiums and hailed the Chief Minister as the “light of the AIADMK.” Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar, Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam, and Handlooms and Textiles Minister O S Manian sought to downplay differences over the leadership issue. Udhayakumar said both Panneerselvam and Palaniswami had a very good understanding and were working like brothers. Exchange of views was a healthy aspect and it was only aimed at the party’s growth, he said answering a question on claims and counterclaims at the September 28 Executive Committee meeting of the party over the issue of Chief Ministerial candidate for the assembly elections.
At Villupuram, Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam said Palaniswami and Panneerselvam would continue to stand together and the party shall go on the path of unity and retain power. Manian too said there was absolutely no rift in the party over the leadership issue. After the stormy executive committee meeting, where the issue of leadership for the polls was discussed, Munsamy had announced that Panneerselvam and Palaniswami would announce on October 7 the chief ministerial candidate.
The meeting saw heated exchanges between Panneerselvam and Palaniswami with both reportedly making competing claims – backed by past events in the party – to stake a claim for being the AIADMK’s chief ministerial nominee next year.
