CHENNAI: Facing a fresh wave of defections, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday sought to boost the morale of party workers, urging them to gear up for the upcoming local body elections under his leadership.
Addressing a meeting of the party’s women wing office-bearers in Chennai, Palaniswami said it was “deeply painful” that those leaving the party were making allegations against him. However, he did not name any leader, sources said.
Palaniswami told the women functionaries they have a bright future in the AIADMK and asked them to intensify preparations for the local body polls. He also recalled that former chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ensured 50% reservation for women in local bodies.
A senior functionary told TNIE that several women leaders assured Palaniswami of their support and urged him not to be concerned about leaders leaving the party.
Responding to speculation that Palaniswami had described those quitting the AIADMK as “traitors”, another senior leader who attended the meeting denied the claim. “The general secretary did not even mention the name of any functionary joining another party,” he said.
“A major plan to revitalise the party structure across districts is being prepared. He will soon unveil it, and responsibilities will be assigned to selected functionaries,” said Kaliyammal Prakasan, who joined the AIADMK recently. AIADMK deputy general secretary KP Munusamy, however, took a swipe at those leaving the party.
Reacting to their claim that they were being branded as betrayers despite years of service, he said, “How else can the cadres describe them when they leave the party after enjoying all positions?”
Meanwhile, the simmering rift within the party resurfaced on Wednesday as a group of senior leaders led by MLAs Natham R Viswanathan and SP Velumani rejected the organisational posts assigned to them by Palaniswami, claiming he had failed to restore them to their earlier positions as promised. Of the 10 signatories, seven are sitting MLAs, who said they would remain ordinary party members rather than accept the new assignments.
One of the signatories, former minister MR Vijayabhaskar, has already announced that he will join the TVK. In another indication of the churn within the party, Palaniswami removed former minister S Valarmathi from the post of organising secretary amid reports that she too is set to join the TVK on Thursday.
Ordinary partymen
A group led by MLAs Natham R Viswanathan and SP Velumani rejected the posts assigned to them by Palaniswami, claiming he had failed to restore them to their earlier positions. Of the 10 signatories, seven are sitting MLAs, who said they would remain ordinary party members rather than accept the new assignments
