CHENNAI: Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar on Monday said time would decide on the need for the party to have a single leadership. Party cadre should avoid airing their views in public since the DMK and other opposition parties are desperately trying to topple the government and split the party, he said.
Talking to media persons, the minister said, “In the absence of Amma (former Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa), we are running the government and party together. The need for a single leadership cannot be decided just by the MLAs, MPs or headquarters office-bearers. Crores of grassroot-level cadre should collectively take a decision.”
He urged the functionaries not to fall prey to the designs of others.
The general council meeting will be convened soon and the functionaries will discuss the issues there, he said.
Asked about the reported remark by Rajan Chellappa that several in the party had similar views on single leadership and there were differences of opinion within the party, Jayakumar said, “There is no rift in the party. The AMMK has been rejected by the people. The party symbol ‘Two Leaves’ and the cadre are also with us. So, where is the question of rift in the party?”
Responding to a question the minister said, “It is quite common that a few differences among functionaries prevail in such a big party. During the past two-and-a-half years, we have successfully resolved many issues and are still going strong.
Similarly, the present issue will also be tackled.”Asked about the district unit’s meeting organised by Rajan Chellappa in Madurai even after the party leadership had warned against airing views in public, the minister said, “The district secretary has powers to convene the meeting of the local unit. This cannot be construed as an act against the party, but what he said there should be given importance.”
AMMK functionaries return
A large number of AMMK functionaries from Tirunelveli and Kancheepuram districts re-joined their parent party, AIADMK, on Monday in the presence of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at his residence. After the AMMK faced rout in the recent Lok Sabha elections and by-elections to 22 Assembly constituencies, several key functionaries of the party have started returning to the AIADMK.
Stalin predicts victory in next Assembly polls
TIRUCHY: DMK president MK Stalin, who unveiled bronze statues of former chief ministers CN Annadurai and M Karunanidhi at the Kalaingar Arivayalam on Monday, predicted a thumping victory for the party in the next assembly elections. Earlier, the DMK president unveiled a statue of former minister Anbil Dharmalingam at Anbil in Lalgudi as part of the latter’s birth centenary celebrations.
Speaking at the function, Stalin said, “We have secured an exemplary victory in the just concluded elections thanks to the hard work of the cadres inspired by the likes of Anbil Dharmalingam. In the same way, our party is going to register a thumping victory in the next assembly election.” Dharmalingam’s grandson and Tiruverumbur MLA, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, organised the function, which was attended by several party bigwigs.
Aid to kin of journo died in accident
CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday granted financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to the family of R Senthilkumar, correspondent of Malaimurasu television channel, who died in a road accident on June 8. In a statement here, the CM said the assistance was being given as a special case.