COIMBATORE/CHENNAI: Chances for the much-hyped merger of both factions of the AIADMK look bleak as former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam heading the rebel faction said that there were no signs of rapprochement.
Sounding disenchanted with the official faction’s response, AIADMK-PTA leader Panneerselvam said his faction had clearly stated its position and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had not responded to it so far.
“No formal information has come from the EPS faction. They themselves raise questions and answer them,” he told reporters in Coimbatore on Thursday, answering questions over the merger talks.
He added, “No signs for rapprochement are seen now.”
Pointing out that the present government in Tamil Nadu was formed by VK Sasikala’s family, Panneerselvam stated he had the doubt whether Edappadi was pretending as if opposing the family of Sasikala.
Endorsing the accusations of his compatriot and Rajya Sabha Member Dr V Maitreyan, Panneerselvam said the EPS government was mired in corruption at all levels.
Not only Maitreyan but the entire people of Tamil Nadu are having the same view. Corruption reigns at all levels in the present government and it amounted to betrayal of the ideals of our great leaders MGR (MG
Ramachandran) and J Jayalalithaa, he rued.
He said that only the 122 MLAs and 2,417 office-bearers of the party were with the EPS faction but the entire party cadre were backing his faction.
The former Chief Minister felt that the Income Tax department should have raided the resorts in Kuvathoor where the AIADMK legislators were holed up, as done now in the case of Gujarat MLAs.
The AIADMK-PTA had been watching closely the developments revolving around TTV Dhinakaran, who had issued a deadline to the EPS faction, and would react, once the deadlines lapsed, he said.
Referring to the row over NEET, he stressed that Tamil Nadu must be given exemption from it until the State syllabus was improved to match the one NEET was based on.