CHENNAI: National parties can sit in the audience gallery and watch the Dravidian majors fight it out. This was the message delivered at the AIADMK general council meeting on Saturday. “They (national parties) do not matter, because they are yet to take roots in this State,” said party deputy coordinator KP Munusamy.
“The national parties are piggybacking on the AIADMK or the DMK. So, the forthcoming elections too is a direct contest between the AIADMK and the DMK. The national parties are just an audience, because that is what they can do here. So, our only enemy is the DMK,” added Munusamy.
Strongly indicating that Sasikala’s release would not have any impact on the AIADMK, Munusamy said, “There are no sleeper cells in the AIADMK anymore because the coordinator and joint coordinator are functioning in a manner that would create confidence among the cadre. Some may have sleeper cells in their imagination. No one will go out of the party now.”
Without naming VK Sasikala, Munusamy said, “If she gets released, nothing will happen. When she comes out, she has a thousand and one problems to face. But a section of the media and other forces are trying to create a confusion among us by triggering this issue. We have to be careful with them because we have just three months for the elections and our focus must be on winning it.” He added, “There are certain forces here hoping to bring the 50-year-Dravidian rule in the State to an end.”
AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam, in his 30-minute speech, praised the government headed by CM Palaniswami for earning the goodwill of the people. He said that it had been functioning well on the path shown by the late leader Amma (J Jayalalithaa). “Wherever we go, people say this government is functioning efficiently and unitedly. As far as I know, a ruling party never earned such goodwill so far. It is our duty to convert this goodwill into votes in the Assembly elections,” Panneerselvam added. The meeting also endorsed the constitution of the 11-member steering committee for the party.
CM reopens eight heritage structures
Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, on Friday, reopened eight heritage structures that were under renovation at a cost of Rs 13.27 crore. Palaniswami reopened the structures through video conference from the Secretariat.
The State Department of Archeology had undertaken renovation works of Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace, Marudhupandiyar Fort in Sivaganga, Thyagadurgam Fort in Kallakurichi, Udayagiri Fort in Kanniyakumari, Gangaikonda Choleeswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, and three temple structures also in Tiruvannamalai.
Palaniswami issues appointment orders
Chennai: CM Edappadi K Palaniswami issued appointment orders to nine persons, on behalf of the 293 assistants and junior assistants who have been recruited for vacancies in cooperative unions and banks functioning under the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, a press release said.