CHENNAI: Even as the intra-party tussle within the AIADMK is tossed between different courts, the party’s interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami rushed to New Delhi on Monday night.
A source close to the leader told TNIE that a team led by Palaniswami, which includes former minister CVe Shanmugam and another party leader, will be meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the capital city. Depending on the situation, Palaniswami may return to Chennai in a day or extend his stay in Delhi for one or two days, the source added.
During his visit to Delhi on July 24 to take part in a farewell party for outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind, Palaniswami did not get a chance for a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi or to meet any top BJP leader as was widely speculated. Later when Modi visited Chennai to inaugurate the Chess Olympiad, Palaniswami could only meet the prime minister at the airport.
Meeting to solve leadership issue?
The latest development assumes significance at a time when the AIADMK is caught in the single leadership issue. Petitions filed by both EPS and OPS are pending at the Madras High Court and in the Supreme Court. The meeting could also be significant as the BJP is drawing strategies to garner a sizeable number of seats from TN in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, there were also speculations that Amit Shah had advised EPS to take along VK Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK with AIADMK to ensure the party’s win but Palaniswami reportedly turned down the suggestion.
Meanwhile, Sasikala too, has been reiterating she would be leading the party soon. AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran has been supporting O Panneerselvam’s call for ‘uniting’ the party while vehemently opposing Palaniswami. Though Palaniswami and his supporters have been denying the intervention of the BJP in the AIADMK affairs, such speculations have continued.
Nadda to visit TN on Sept 22, 23
BJP national president JP Nadda, in his visit to Tamil Nadu on September 22 and 23, will meet the party’s State leaders in Madurai and chair a session with State president K Annamalai in Karaikudi