CHENNAI: AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday hosted a gathering for the party's MLAs at his camp office on Greenways Road in the city, marking the first such event organised by the AIADMK leader for party legislators.
Though almost all MLAs in Palaniswami's camp attended the gathering, senior AIADMK leader and Gobichettipalayam MLA KA Sengottaiyan was notably absent. In addition to Sengottaiyan, A Banneri (Bhavanisagar (SC) in Erode), VP Kandasamy (Sulur in Coimbatore district), and P Arjunan (Tindivanam (SC) in Villupuram district) were also absent.
Sengottaiyan's absence was not unexpected, given his strained relationship with Palaniswami over the past few months. However, the reasons for the non-attendance of the other three legislators remain unclear.
Sources within the party indicated that no one other than MLAs was permitted to enter the premises of the EPS camp office. Personal assistants and close associates accompanying the MLAs were asked to wait outside the campus.
However, party presidium chairman A Tamil Magan Hussain and former minister B Valarmathi were present at the gathering.
“The party was organised as a gesture of thanksgiving to party MLAs for standing by the General Secretary (Palaniswami) and backed his decision during the difficult times,” said the source privy to the developments in the party.