CHENNAI: Senior AIADMK leader CVe Shanmugam on Tuesday welcomed AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s reported willingness to hold talks with dissenting leaders, but insisted that any reconciliation efforts should take place through a meeting of the party’s general council.
Addressing reporters, Shanmugam said the AIADMK was facing repeated electoral defeats and that the reasons behind the setbacks should be openly discussed within the party. He alleged that several leaders who had worked for the party’s unity in the past were sidelined, leading to the present crisis.
He accused the leadership of attempting to portray dissenters as traitors while avoiding internal discussion on the party’s electoral performance. “We are ready for talks. Our only demand is that the general council should be convened and decisions should be taken democratically,” he said.
Shanmugam maintained that he and other dissident leaders had only pointed out “mistakes in leadership” and had not personally attacked Palaniswami. He alleged that party functionaries and district secretaries were being threatened with removal from posts if they refused to support the present leadership.
Claiming that the removal of district secretaries and other office-bearers was “illegal”, he argued that such actions would not hold validity if the matter reached the Election Commission or the courts. Drawing parallels with the earlier leadership dispute between O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami, he said only office-bearers who held posts at the time the dispute arose would be recognised in legal proceedings.
Citing the AIADMK’s internal rules, Shanmugam said a special general council meeting must be convened within 30 days if one-fifth of general council members sought it. He accused the leadership of functioning in an “authoritarian manner” by refusing to convene such a meeting.
Reiterating that the dissident camp wanted a “united and strong AIADMK”, he urged the leadership to bring back expelled and estranged leaders into the party fold.
The remarks came in the wake of a meeting of district secretaries, chaired by Palaniswami, at the party headquarters on Tuesday.
The remarks come amid the split in the AIADMK legislature party during the confidence vote in the Assembly. While the faction led by Shanmugam backed the TVK government with the support of 25 MLAs, the camp led by Palaniswami, along with 21 MLAs, voted against the government. Both factions subsequently petitioned the Speaker seeking action against legislators for allegedly violating their respective party whips.
Amid the continuing power struggle, the Palaniswami camp removed 31 district secretaries and appointed new office-bearers in their place. The move triggered tension in several districts, including Villupuram, Pudukkottai and Erode, where police were deployed outside party offices to prevent clashes between rival groups.