CHENNAI: A day after his belligerent pushback at a public meeting here against any suggestions to readmit estranged leaders like O Panneerselvam and T T V Dhinakaran into the AIADMK, the party’s general secretary, Edappadi K Palaniswami, met BJP’s chief election strategist and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday.
According to party sources, the former CM reiterated his stance to Shah on Panneerselvam and Dhinakaran. The meeting between Shah and Palaniswami came a week after AIADMK veteran K A Sengottaiyan held discussions with Shah following his 10-day deadline for EPS to initiate steps to unite the factions.
A party leader privy to the matters discussed said Palaniswami conveyed to Shah that any encouragement of “disgruntled elements” in the AIADMK by its ally BJP would cause difficulties in maintaining a “coherent relationship” that is crucial for facing the elections. Though Shah giving audience to Sengottaiyan created disquiet in the AIADMK leadership, nothing was publicly said.
Importantly, party sources said Palaniswami made a representation to Shah to honour Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar, revered by the Mukkulathor caste group, with a Bharat Ratna in recognition of his contribution to the freedom struggle.
The appeal assumes significance since the 2024 Lok Sabha election results indicated that the Mukkulathor community’s support to the AIADMK has shrunk, in what is perceived as a dissatisfaction due to the exit of leaders from the community — Dhinakaran, Panneerselvam and late CM Jayalalithaa’s aide V K Sasikala — from the party.
Sources said Palaniswami, along with senior party colleagues, held discussions with Shah for about 25 minutes, followed by a short one-to-one discussion between the two. While senior leaders like S P Velumani, K P Munusamy, C Ve Shanmugam, I S Inbadurai, M Thambidurai and Dindigul C Srinivasan were present, former minister P Thangamani was conspicuous by his absence.
Earlier in the day, Palaniswami and other leaders called on Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan to congratulate him on his election to the country’s second-highest office. Sources said the meeting lasted for around two hours, unlike the 15-20 minutes usually taken for such courtesy calls.
Meanwhile, in Gopichettipalayam, Sengottaiyan went into a huddle with his supporters on Tuesday about the next course of action.