Chennai, Sep 29 (IANS) A day after the ruling AIADMK announced that its Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2021 assembly polls will be announced on October 7, party Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met several party leaders at his residence here.
Panneerselvam also skipped a meeting held by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami with the District Collectors on controlling coronavirus.
The party’s Deputy Coordinator K.P. Munusamy, Rajya Sabha Member R. Vaithilingam, Manoj Pandian and others were present at Panneerselvam’s residence.
Speaking to reporters Munusamy said the meeting was a routine one.
On his part Vaithilingam said the party will come back to power post the 2021 elections and he supports both Panneerselvam and Palaniswami.
Earlier Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said there was a healthy exchange at the party’s Executive Committee meeting held here on Monday.
At the Executive Committee meeting there were views expressed by leaders to announce the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2021 assembly polls.
While some party officials spoke in favour of Palaniswami, some others supported Panneerselvam.
There were some sharp exchanges between Palaniswami and Panneerselvam with the former stating that the latter had voted against the government when the confidence motion was moved.
To that Panneerselvam replied that it was done as a move against V. K. Sasikala, then party leader and now in a Karnataka jail.
Meanwhile there is also a strong view that the party should face the upcoming polls with the existing set up, as any change in the Chief Ministerial candidate will turn out to be a negative factor.
“There will not be any change in the current set up. The status quo will continue. The party will face the elections with Palaniswami heading the caretaker government while Panneerselvam stays party Coordinator,” the senior official, who did not want to be identified, told IANS.
According to him, this will be the announcement that would be made by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami on October 7.
According to him, Panneerselvam had said that he had not demanded the Chief Minister’s post.
At the time of merging his faction with the AIADMK, Panneerselvam had agreed that he will be the Deputy Chief Minister and party Coordinator and till now, he has maintained that, the party leader said.
–IANS
vj/bg