Chennai: In a dramatic announcement, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday night said the BJP-led Central Government had saved his erstwhile government in Tamil Nadu after former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016. Hence as a gratitude, the AIADMK has now joined hands with the BJP to face next year’s Assembly elections.
Addressing a public meeting in Chennai, Palaniswami said some people had tried to appropriate the AIADMK after Jayalalithaa’s death and at that time it was the Centre that saved it. “Some people are saying the BJP is intimidating us. But they saved our government,” he said.
Asserting his control of the party, Palaniswami also categorically ruled out re-inducting former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and former AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran (now heading the AMMK) into the party. He mocked attempts by some (rebel leader K A Sengottaiyan) to reunite all factions of the party.
“We forgave and took back those who voted against our government and made them Deputy Chief Minister (OPS) but they did not reform. Do they want us to take such people back into the party? Should we take back those (TTV) who ‘abducted’ 18 of our MLAs?,” he questioned.
Palaniswami declared anyone who seeks to betray the AIADMK will only end up on the streets.
