No mention of Rajini at marathon AIADMK meeting

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 15.12.2020

Against the backdrop of actor Rajinikanth’s political entry, the AIADMK leadership on Monday told party men that they would take care of formation of alliance and they need not worry about anything. The leadership exhorted the cadres to stay united, strive hard to fetch a third consecutive win in the 2021 assembly poll, and hinted at holding its much-anticipated general council and executive committee meeting soon.

Even as chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam announced in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah that the alliance with the BJP will continue, neither the minister nor the party has acknowledged it yet. Uneasiness has swept over the ruling camp ever since Rajinikanth’s announcement that he has decided to take the political plunge. In a meeting of district secretaries, ministers and zonal in charge at the party headquarters on Monday, the AIADMK leadership remained mum on the developments. Both EPS and OPS did not utter a word about the actor nor his political debut.

“Both EPS and OPS told partymen not to worry about the alliance and that they would take care of it. They hinted at continuing in the existing alliance without making any remark on the arrival of actor Rajinikanth,” said a senior leader. Instead, the leaders told the functionaries to focus on staying united and work hard given that their goal was to achieve a majority of the seats (to form the government on their own).

Palaniswami is said to have detailed the achievements of the government and the widespread appreciation from the public for the welfare measures rolled out recently. “The chief minister said there is no anti-incumbency at all in the state. Both leaders said the partymen have more experience in electoral politics and we could succeed this time,” said another leader.