CHENNAI: Kongu Ilaingar Peravai leader U Thaniyarasu on Wednesday said former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was an “unavoidable” factor in the AIADMK party. He cautioned OPS rival group led by Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami that AIADMK cadres, sympathisers and public would give a fitting reply to them in the Erode East Assembly by-poll.

EPS would not succeed in revitalising the AIADMK party without OPS. The party sympathisers and supporters will reject EPS in the bypoll and teach him a lesson, if he wants to keep away OPS, and VK Sasikala from the party, said the former MLA after meeting OPS in the latter’s residence in Chennai. “EPS will not able to get the traditional AIADMK votes,” he noted.