After stormy meet, AIADMK says "CM pick will be announced on Oct 7"

The meeting discussed at length the question of whether Palaniswami or Panneerselvam should be the chief ministerial candidate, party sources told PTI, adding it was finally decided that a formal announcement shall be made next month. In the meeting, competing claims -backed by past events in the party- were reportedly made by both Palaniswami and Panneerselvam to stake claim for being the AIADMK's chief minister nominee for polls next year, sources said.

The AIADMK's executive committee meet here on Monday turned out to be stormy with the leadership question casting a shadow as the party deliberated the Chief Minister's face for the Assembly elections next year. After a five-hour long meeting, the party announced that the chief ministerial candidate for the 2021 elections would be announced on October 7.

The Chief Ministerial candidate would be made known by top AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami, party deputy coordinator K P Munusamy told reporters here after the executive committee meeting. The meeting discussed at length the question of whether Palaniswami or Panneerselvam should be the chief ministerial candidate, party sources told PTI, adding it was finally decided that a formal announcement shall be made next month.

In the meeting, competing claims -backed by past events in the party- were reportedly made by both Palaniswami and Panneerselvam to stake claim for being the AIADMK's chief minister nominee for polls next year, sources said. Palaniswami reportedly said that he has been providing good governance in Tamil Nadu which has won appreciation from even Prime Minister Narendra Modi to buttress his claim for the post.

Significantly, the party adopted a resolution to work hard unitedly "like brothers" to recapture power for a record third time. As the party office-bearers arrived for the meet, a section of cadres at the entrance of party headquarters waved pictures of Palaniswami and others wore "Panneerselvam mask." The meet, chaired by presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan, is the first such high level gathering after a recent "poster row" in which supporters of both Panneerselvam and Palaniswami wanted their respective leaders to be the AIADMK's chief ministerial candidate for 2021 polls.

Recently, the two top leaders had issued a gag order, asking the cadres and leaders not to air views publicly on the issue of chief ministerial candidate after divergent opinions emerged. Munusamy, who was flanked by senior leaders K A Sengottaiyan, R Vaithilingam and S P Velumani, also said the executive committee passed as many as 15 resolutions.

In separate resolutions, the party asked the Centre to release the pending GST compensation to Tamil Nadu and scrap the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. Pledging its commitment to the two language formula, the party also reiterated its opposition to Karnataka's dam proposal across the river Cauvery at Mekedatu.

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