CHENNAI: CHENNAI: The AIADMK feud, which lasted nearly three weeks, ended in a draw for the time being on Wednesday, but only after the party lost four MLAs to the ruling TVK. Leaders of both factions met Speaker J C D Prabhakar, with the rival camp withdrawing its disqualification petitions against MLAs in the Palaniswami group.
In a separate letter to the speaker, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami urged him to condone the actions of the remaining 21 MLAs — excluding the four who resigned and joined the TVK — for defying the party whip during the confidence vote on May 13.
Sources said that at the residence of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, the MLAs from the Shanmugam group issued individual letters to Palaniswami stating that they voted ‘unintentionally’ in support of the TVK during the confidence vote.
The MLAs also contended that the confidence vote aside, they did not engage in any anti-party activities and hence they requested the party leadership to pardon their mistake.
In turn, Palaniswami also issued letters stating that, as per party bylaws, they have decided to let go this ‘unintentional act’ and requested the speaker not to proceed with the disqualification request.
Following this, the Shanmugam group withdrew their claims on office-bearer posts of the legislature party and their own disqualification request to the speaker.
Asked about the four MLAs who resigned from the party and joined the TVK, AIADMK MP I S Inbadurai told TNIE that the party would continue its legal fight against the speaker’s decision to accept their resignations (while pleas seeking their disqualification remain pending) until the matter reaches its logical conclusion.
He added that, as of Thursday, the AIADMK general secretary had accepted only 21 MLAs of the rival camp and not the four who resigned and joined the TVK.
Though the two AIADMK factions came together to end their differences, it is perceived only as a temporary truce and not a permanent resolution to issues in the party, since posts of over 30 office-bearers are yet to be restored.
This exercise may also prove to be a difficult one since the animosity between the newly-appointed office-bearers and those belonging to the rival group would have to be addressed by the party leadership first.
Significantly, although the leaders of both groups met the speaker together, only the Shanmugam faction spoke to reporters after. There was no press release from the AIADMK headquarters in this regard, but only photographs showing the meeting between the rival group MLAs and Palaniswami.
The principal leader of the rival group, C Ve Shanmugam, neither met Palaniswami nor was part of the team which met the speaker. Sources said Shanmugam was not convinced about what Palaniswami conveyed to him through the rival faction leaders and was seriously considering resigning as MLA even as efforts were undertaken to pacify him.
After meeting the speaker, former AIADMK minister S P Velumani, who led the rival faction along with C Ve Shanmugam, told reporters, “The AIADMK stands united now. Our general secretary Palaniswami has agreed to consider our requests one by one in due course. There is no split in the AIADMK, only differences in opinion, which have been ironed out.”
Velumani said that after the AIADMK’s Assembly poll defeat, they had voiced certain views and backed the ruling party in the Assembly. While there were differences of opinion, there was no split, and Palaniswami remained their leader.
He said they had sought a review of the reasons for the defeat, a general council meeting and formation of a steering committee, and that the general secretary had agreed to consider them one by one. He added that the AIADMK would function strongly hereafter.
When Velumani, after meeting the speaker, returned to Shanmugam’s residence, the latter’s supporters raised slogans praising Shanmugam. However, Velumani said Shanmugam is also with them, while Natham R Viswanathan said the letter submitted to the speaker was drafted by Shanmugam himself.
