R. ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, OCT 2
Days after sparring over the chief ministerial candidate for 2021 assembly elections, AIADMK’s ‘Two leaves’ – Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam – staged a unity show in Chennai on Friday.
The duo took part in the public events to mark the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti and former Chief Minister C Kamaraj’s death anniversary, as the duo took days after they crossed swords over who should be the ruling AIADMK’s
The twin events of Gandhi Jayanti and the death anniversary of former Tamil Nadu chief minister K Kamaraj brought the two leaders together as they took part in the official functions paying tributes to the late leaders. It assumed significance since Panneerselvam, the AIADMK coordinator, had kept himself away from some official events chaired by Palaniswami amid reports of a rift between them on the leadership issue.
Panneerselvam did not take part in a COVID-19 review meeting of District collectors on Tuesday while he was not invited/neglected to a project launch event here on September 30, both presided over by the chief minister.
Also, the deputy CM did not attend the “One Nation, One Ration Card” scheme launched by Palaniswami at the Secretariat on Thursday and in the evening he visited temples in the nearby Tiruvallur district. Panneerselvam had also been holding discussions with his loyalists besides other leaders.
On September 28, both Panneerselvam and Palaniswami had a heated debate at the AIADMK Executive Committee meeting here on the issue of the chief ministerial candidate for the next year’s assembly elections. Following the discussions, the party said the two would announce on October 7 the chief ministerial nominee.
Meanwhile, sources said AIADMK legislators and office-bearers are “expected” to be in Chennai on October 6, a day ahead of the announcement on the party’s chief ministerial candidate. They were expected to be in Chennai to facilitate consultations if needed, party sources said. Asked on a reported communique to party leaders, legislators and senior office-bearers to be present in Chennai on October 6, party sources said that no such “formal” message has been forwarded. Sources, however, said party functionaries could be “expected” to be in the state capital considering the announcement to be made and to make themselves available for deliberations if warranted.
