Velumani's parallel founding day event blunts Edappadi's unity call

CHENNAI: Despite AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's invitation to party functionaries to attend the party's 55th foundation day celebrations at its headquarters, former ministers SP Velumani and P Thangamani chose to hold separate events in their respective strongholds, signalling that efforts to project unity have yet to bridge the widening differences within the party.

His decision to organise a separate event, instead of joining the celebrations at MGR Maaligai, has fuelled speculation about growing discontent within the Opposition party.

At the headquarters, Palaniswami launched the celebrations marking the AIADMK's entry into its 55th year, urging cadres to remain united and determined to overcome the party's political challenges. He called for concerted efforts to defeat what he termed "anti-democratic forces" and the "anti-people regime" through democratic means, asserting that no one could damage the party and expressing confidence that it would return to power in the State.

However, Velumani held a separate celebration in Tiruttani, where he garlanded a statue of party founder and former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran (MGR) and distributed sweets. Thangamani, too, marked the occasion separately by garlanding an MGR statue at Pallipalayam.

Sources said key functionaries and supporters of the dissident faction had been holding consultations at Velumani's residence over the past three days to discuss the reasons behind the party's successive electoral defeats.

In Villupuram, C Ve Shanmugam urged the leadership to hold talks to ascertain the reasons for the electoral defeats and work out a strategy to return to power. "My only wish is that the AIADMK should regain strength to form Amma's rule again. I will fully cooperate with such initiatives, and I have no personal agenda. It is enough if the AIADMK is united and emerges as a strong political force," Shanmugam told reporters.

Indicating that the core cadres were still with the AIADMK and that many leaders also stood with the former Chief Minister, the party IT Wing put out posts hailing Palaniswami as a "phenomenon" who is carrying forward the AIADMK legacy in its 55th year of existence.

"This is not a group of losers who get upset after seeing defeat. This is a team of warriors who stand firm and win head-on, no matter how many odds are flung at them! Our party, full of valiant political workers, following the path of the revolutionary leaders MGR and Amma, cannot be shaken by any force!" the party's IT Wing said.

Meanwhile, party whip and Palaniswami supporter Agri Krishnamurthy rejected rebels' demand to reinduct expelled leaders, saying O Panneerselvam contested and won on the rival DMK's Rising Sun symbol. He also pointed out that TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala are at present running their own parties.

Against this backdrop, the separate foundation day events have assumed significance beyond the customary celebrations. At a time when Palaniswami has called for unity, two senior leaders' decision to organise parallel programmes has underscored the continuing challenge facing the AIADMK leadership in containing internal dissent.