BJP proposes merger of AIADMK factions; EPS disposes

CHENNAI: National general secretary of BJP and party’s Tamil Nadu incharge CT Ravi and state party president K Annamalai called on AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami and ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam in their respective residences on Friday to convey the message from their national leadership.

While BJP and OPS were on the same page over united AIADMK front, EPS was not for it and dug his heels in.

Though there were no official statements from EPS and OPS camps regarding the meetings and BJP leaders remained tight lipped over the development, information trickling from the both the camps hinted that the BJP has been trying to patch up the two factions ahead of the Erode East Assembly by-poll. The meetings took place a day after the Election Commission of India filed a six-page preliminary submission to the Supreme Court that AIADMK’s “by-laws” dated on 11.07.2022 were not taken on record (by ECI) as the same is under challenge, including the manner and the process in which the amendments were passed in the said meeting.”

After returning from his Delhi visit on Thursday late night, Annamalai along with C T Ravi visited Leader of Opposition and AIADMK ‘interim’ general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami at the latter’s residence in Chennai. Former Minister D Jayakumar was also present on the occasion.

After nearly half an hour meeting with the EPS camp, they reached out to deposed AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and held talks with him in the presence of the latter’s supporter R Vaithilingam.

Sources said that the BJP leaders communicated the message from their national leadership, who in turn, want both the OPS and EPS camps to shed their differences and come together. “It was an attempt to merge the two factions,” said a party insider.

Citing the ECI’s preliminary submission to the ECI regarding EPS plea before the SC, seeking direction to the commission to acknowledge the July 11 general body meeting, the party senior leaders in EPS camp opined that it was remotely possible to get the symbol for the February 27 bypoll. The ECI’s response is clear. Sensing this, the BJP leadership is trying to bring OPS and his supporters into the party and it would be “against the larger interest” of the EPS led camp. “The BJP’s attempt would turn futile,” said EPS supporters and hinted at D Jayakumar remark on Thursday that they would not backtrack from their decision.

OPS camp, on the other hand, welcomed the attempts of the BJP leadership and echoed that their leader reiterated the need for the merger of the party and gave a clarion calls to the party cadres and supporters to come together to take forward the legacy of party leaders MGR, Jayalalithaa and the ‘Two-Leaves’ symbol.