CHENNAI: Seven years after his famous ‘Dharmayudh’ against her, ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam and V K Sasikala greeted each other near the Anna Memorial in Chennai while paying respects to former chief minister C N Annadurai on his death anniversary.
Panneerselvam was leaving after paying floral tributes at the memorial but got down from his vehicle on seeing Sasikala. The leaders exchanged pleasantries and enquired after each other’s health. “He is our partyman and a member of our family. We met and greeted each other. That’s our Tamil tradition,” Sasikala told reporters later.
Panneerselvam had rebelled against the Sasikala clan in 2017 after he was “forced” to resign from the post of chief minister, and sought a judicial probe into the death of former chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa. Then chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Panneerselvam joined hands after a deal was struck between their factions to set up a commission of inquiry.
Following his expulsion from the AIADMK led by Palaniswami in July 2022, Panneerselvam joined hands with Sasikala’s nephew and AMMK chief T T V Dhinakaran and continued his legal battle to reclaim the AIADMK. Sasikala had also challenged her removal from the post of interim general secretary by the EPS-OPS group. In 2022, Panneerselvam, while deposing before retired Justice Arumughaswamy commission probing the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa’s death, said Sasikala did not conspire against the late leader.
On Saturday, Sasikala maintained that her efforts would continue to unite all groups of the AIADMK to unseat the DMK government. “Wait and see,” she said. Asked about the OPS-Sasikala meeting, Dhinakaran told reporters in Ramanathapuram, “Like-minded people have met.”
Panneerselvam was leaving after paying floral tributes at the memorial but got down from his vehicle on seeing Sasikala. The leaders exchanged pleasantries and enquired after each other’s health. “He is our partyman and a member of our family. We met and greeted each other. That’s our Tamil tradition,” Sasikala told reporters later.
Panneerselvam had rebelled against the Sasikala clan in 2017 after he was “forced” to resign from the post of chief minister, and sought a judicial probe into the death of former chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa. Then chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Panneerselvam joined hands after a deal was struck between their factions to set up a commission of inquiry.
Following his expulsion from the AIADMK led by Palaniswami in July 2022, Panneerselvam joined hands with Sasikala’s nephew and AMMK chief T T V Dhinakaran and continued his legal battle to reclaim the AIADMK. Sasikala had also challenged her removal from the post of interim general secretary by the EPS-OPS group. In 2022, Panneerselvam, while deposing before retired Justice Arumughaswamy commission probing the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa’s death, said Sasikala did not conspire against the late leader.
On Saturday, Sasikala maintained that her efforts would continue to unite all groups of the AIADMK to unseat the DMK government. “Wait and see,” she said. Asked about the OPS-Sasikala meeting, Dhinakaran told reporters in Ramanathapuram, “Like-minded people have met.”