Feuding AIADMK factions will unite soon, says Edappadi Palaniswami

Replying to a query on the merger of factions, “I expect it to happen soon”, the CM said, while a group of cadre from the DMK joined the ruling party in his presence. However, Palaniswami did not refrain from snubbing his predecessor and rebel unit leader O Panneerselvam for the latter’s allegation of legislators from Palaniswami’s camp not having raised any ‘real’ issues in the recently concluded Legislative Assembly’s budget session.

 “Many issues were raised by the legislators in the budget session where debates on demand for grants for various departments were taken up. We have provided proper reply to the issues raised. This is known to everyone who attended the session, and he too would have known it if he had attended it. 

Maybe you should ask him whether he attended the session,” Palaniswami queried. 

‘On securing exemption from NEET, Palaniswami said the state government has been urging the centre consistently on this issue. 

“As we speak, Health Minister C Vijaya Bhaskar is camping in Delhi and holding talks with the Union government to secure the exemption. We have been insisting that the State should not be brought under the ambit of NEET. We would continue to stick to our demand considering the welfare of our students,” Palaniswami said. 

About drinking water scarcity plaguing the city, the CM who cited monsoon failure assured that steps were in place to meet the drinking water shortage. “It is a historic drought in 142 years. Rains are sporadic. The situation will improve once the State receives the required rainfall levels,” he added. 

The CM denied the allegations over the State being complacent about neighbouring Kerala and Karnataka building check-dams and observed that he trashed similar allegations raked up in the Assembly when the demand for grants for the PWD was taken up.

 “We have allocated Rs 1,000 crore for construction of check dams in the State of which Rs 350 crore has been sanctioned this year. The legislators and party MPs have made representations to sanction the rest Rs 650 crore in the next two years. The representations were being made. We are in the process of planning and we would execute it,” he observed.

Key OPS faction leader and former minister KP Munusamy said that they were not averse to a merger as long as their two demands are met. “We welcome it. He could have also mentioned that both our primary demands on keeping VK Sasikala away from the party and probing into the death of our party supremo and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Our demands are aimed at the welfare of State and its denizens, and we are not bargaining cabinet berths,” former minister KP Munusamy, who was the first rebel against Sasikala, told DT Next .“How can the convict run the party affairs? Why do these people from the ruling party have to take orders from her,” he questioned.