CHENNAI: The AIADMK might be headed for a ‘split’ with its newly-sworn-in MLAs divided on the election of its leader for the legislature party. One group supports party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami while another is backing former ministers S P Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam, with both sides submitting separate letters to Pro-Tem Speaker M V Karuppaiah on Monday.
A clear picture of which faction prevails may become clearer on Tuesday when the new TVK government will face a floor-test and the speaker and deputy speaker of the House will be elected.
After the Assembly session for newly-elected members to take the oath concluded on Monday, a group of 17 MLAs called on the pro-tem speaker and submitted a letter informing them of the election of Palaniswami as the leader of the legislature party.
After five hours, an AIADMK release said the letter contained details about the MLAs elected to the posts of deputy leader, whip, deputy whip, treasurer, secretary, and deputy secretary of the AIADMK legislature party.
Although only 17 MLAs submitted the letter, one supporter of Palaniswami told TNIE that 27 MLAs backed Palaniswami’s election. The AIADMK headquarters released a photo showing Palaniswami chairing a meeting of 22 MLAs and claimed that five more MLAs had added their support for his election. Asked about speculations that the AIADMK is splitting again, Palaniswami at the secretariat simply said, “It is wrong information.”
The MLAs supporting Palaniswami include O S Manian, Thalavai N Sundaram, K C Karuppannan, Maragatham Kumaravel and Agri S S Krishnamurthy.
However, around 6.15 pm, the group of MLAs supporting Velumani and Shanmugam met the pro-tem speaker and submitted a letter written by Velumani, stating that he was elected the leader of the legislature party by a ‘majority’ of the newly-elected MLAs at a meeting held on May 9.
The letter said former minister C Vijaya Baskar has been elected as the whip of the AIADMK legislature party at another meeting held on May 10, and that other office-bearers have also been elected by a majority of the members.
However, C Ve Shanmugam, who was part of the delegation which met the pro-tem speaker, declined to divulge the details to reporters. “You have waited all this time. Please wait for some more time.
Everything will be clear,” Shanmugam told reporters. The MLAs supporting Velumani and Shanmugam include, Natham R Viswanathan, R Kamaraj, Arunmozhithevan, K V Veeramani, and K P Anbazhagan.
Following these developments, hectic parleys took place at the residence of Palaniswami and a place near Shanmugam’s residence. Sources reiterated that the MLAs supporting Shanmugam are willing to extend support to the TVK government, but the leaders in that camp neither denied nor admitted it. They simply replied with a cryptic “please wait and watch”.
Meanwhile, on Monday evening, former minister P Thangamani called on Shanmugam and held discussions. Leema Rose, Lalgudi MLA, also met with Shanmugam. Elsewhere, Palaniswami’s supporters gathered at his residence. Rajya Sabha MP M Dhanapal, after a meeting with the party chief, said, “Palaniswami will continue to be our general secretary. These issues will be resolved soon. The party cadre will not accept any other person except Palaniswami as the general secretary.”
A clear picture of who has the support of the majority of MLAs — Palaniswami or the other group — will be known by Tuesday, and it may reflect on the election of the speaker and deputy speaker of the House.
