Over six months after a bitter split, rival AIADMK factions today merged following a power sharing arrangement under which K Palaniswami will remain the chief minister and O Panneerselvam will be his deputy. Panneerselvam will also be the AIADMK coordinator while Palaniswami will be the co-coordinator of the ruling party in Tamil Nadu. A cabinet reshuffle will take place, it was announced here after weeks of hard bargaining by factions led by the two leaders who have questioned Sasikala’s appointment as party general secretary.
Her loyalists continued to maintain that party cadres are with Sasikala, who is in jail in a graft case, even as the fate of the sidelined leader and her nephew Dhinakaran in the party remained uncertain. Palaniswami arrived first at the party office today. Panneerselvam came a bit later, his first visit after almost seven months. Both were given a rousing reception by party cadres who swarmed the party headquarters and lined up along the road leading to the premises.
Paneerselvam was welcomed by Walajabad B Ganesan, a senior functionary of Amma camp which was led by Palaniswami, with a shawl. The rebel leader had earlier visited the office before his revolt against Sasikala on February seven. Prior to Panneerselvam’s arrival, his loyalists including P Munusamy, Rajya Sabha MP V Maithreyan, senior leader C Ponnaiyan, and former MP, P H Manoj Pandian converged at the office. The factional feud began in February after Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala. The former chief minister had said that he was forced to resign from his post and asserted that only a person desired by people and cadres should succeed him in the government and party.
