CHENNAI: The rift within the AIADMK widened on Thursday after senior dissenting leaders met TVK general secretary and Water Resources Minister N Anand at the Secretariat, further fuelling speculation over the growing divide in the Opposition party.
Former ministers SP Velumani, CVe Shanmugam and KP Anbazhagan met the minister for more than an hour. The meeting assumed significance as the trio did not meet AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami during the Assembly session on Wednesday or Thursday.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Velumani said the discussions focused on the Athikadavu-Avinashi project and development works concerning their respective constituencies. Asked why the group had not met Palaniswami, CVe Shanmugam dismissed the suggestion, saying, "Why should we meet him? There is nothing between us. There is no need to meet him."
The divide widened further after Velumani recently called for the reinduction of VK Sasikala and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran into the AIADMK, a demand widely seen as a challenge to Palaniswami's leadership.
The meeting is also significant, as six former AIADMK MLAs had earlier resigned from the party and joined the TVK, leaving six Assembly constituencies vacant. By-elections to these seats are expected to be announced soon.