CHENNAI : Two days after the Madras High Court upheld the disqualification of 18 MLAs, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam appealed to those who had ‘drifted away’ from the AIADMK, ‘due to wrong guidance and some misunderstandings’, to return to the parent party.
The appeal came amidst reports that AIADMK Whip S Rajendran had written to Speaker P Dhanapal asking him to seek an explanation from three AIADMK MLAs who support Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran.
The appeal assumes significance as it also comes a day after the 18 disqualified MLAs said they would challenge the HC verdict. It is also seen as an effort to woo functionaries backing Dhinakaran.
“Those who drifted away from the party due to wrong guidance and differences of opinion, should understand the hard realities indicated by the Madras High Court verdict and return to the people’s movement led by the ideals of late leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.
We make this appeal with affection and love,” Palaniswami and Panneerselvam said in the statement. “Being in power is an opportunity to serve the people and we celebrate the HC verdict only as it helps us in realising that objective.
The verdict has given us an opportunity to work unitedly to fulfil the confidence the people have in us,” they said.