Erode 5 Sep

Senior AIADMK leader and legislator KA Sengottaiyan on Friday called upon party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to "bring back" into the party fold all those who left AIADMK and face the Assembly election as a unified force.

The lawmaker from Gobichettipalayam constituency in Erode district claimed that it was ousted interim general secretary VK Sasikala, who endorsed Palaniswami as the CM candidate in the past.

"If Palaniwami fails to initiate steps to bring about unity in the AIADMK in ten days, then we will unite all like-minded people and ensure the party gets strengthened," the former minister told reporters here.

Sengottaiyan's plea for rapprochement on the principle of "marappom, mannippon" (forget and forgive) did not appear to go well with the AIADMK under Palaniswami.

A senior leader in the AIADMK said that EPS had made it clear several times that those who have been expelled from the party would never be accommodated.

"Sengottaiyan is only attempting to create confusion in the party. A majority of us are with Palaniswami," a senior leader said.

Although Sengottaiyan mentioned the names of former state ministers: SP Velumani, P Thangamani and CVe Shanmugam of being unanimous with him over the party's performance in the previous Assembly election, they solidly backed Palaniswami and not Sasikala, the party senior argued.

Commenting on the development, ruling DMK's ally Thol Thirumavalavan told reporters that it would have been better had Sengottaiyan specified who should be taken back into the AIADMK.

Hailing Sengottaiyan's "open talk," expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam remarked that the former had been in the party since late Chief Minister MG Ramachandran founded the AIADMK in 1972.

"Not only Sengottaiyan, all of us wish to see the party united and strong," he told reporters.

Though initially declining to comment on the party's internal affairs, BJP state Chief Nainar Nagenthiran said the idea of merger was a welcome move.

"We can send the DMK regime packing home only when we come together," Nagenthiran told media in Tirunelveli.

Sengottaiyan, the nine-time MLA, addressed Palaniswami as General Secretary of the AIADMK and former Chief Minister but refrained from mentioning his name during the crowded press conference.

"I am ready to sacrifice everything for the merger and development of the party," he said at the Gobichettipalayam AIADMK office where scores of party members had descended.

The former School Education Minister had served as presidium chairman of the AIADMK.