File photo of V K Sasikala (L) along with O Panneerselvam (R).
Credit: PTI file photo
Chennai: With the AIADMK facing yet another electoral rout, its expelled leaders V K Sasikala and O Panneerselvam have appealed to party cadres to "reunite" to keep the ideals of M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa alive and restore the party to its old glory. They urged the cadres to understand that a "course correction" is the need of the hour and any delay will only lead to the 52-year-old party becoming irrelevant in state politics.
In separate statements, Sasikala and Panneerselvam, who were expelled from the AIADMK in 2017 and 2022 respectively, stressed the need for unity among the cadres of the party, indicating that the current party leadership should take a cue from the 2024 Lok Sabha poll defeat and take remedial measures to put the party back on track.
The party posted one of its worst performances in recent years in the April 19 Lok Sabha polls with the party being relegated to the third slot in 11 constituencies by the BJP and its allies, and to the fourth position in one seat by Tamil nationalist outfit, Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK).
"If we don’t do the course correction now, the AIADMK will become irrelevant. We should not allow the ideals of MGR and Jayalalithaa to fade away. The legacy of these iconic Dravidian leaders would fade if we don’t take remedial measures now", she said.
Panneerselvam stressed on the unity of the AIADMK and asked cadres to reunite. "The party is above any individual. I am prepared to engage with the present AIADMK leadership", Panneerselvam said in a statement.
However, the AIADMK rejected the overtures from Sasikala and OPS, saying the party has in fact increased its vote share from 19 per cent in 2019 to 20 per cent in 2024.
"What right does O Panneerselvam has to ask AIADMK cadres to unite? He contested against the AIADMK candidate in Ramanathapuram in the Lok Sabha polls and he is the one who is now asking cadres to reunite. Isn’t this a joke?", AIADMK deputy general secretary K P Munusamy told reporters.
Panneerselvam and T T V Dhinakaran, Sasikala’s nephew and another party rebel, contested in Ramanathapuram and Theni respectively, and pushed the AIADMK to the third slot.
Thursday also saw the AIADMK and BJP sparring with each other over who broke the alliance. While former minister S P Velumani alleged that K Annamalai was the reason behind the AIADMK exiting the NDA, inviting a sharp retort from the Tamil Nadu BJP chief who asked the Dravidian party to introspect on its loses rather than talking about the past.