Amid standoff over CM choice, AIADMK leader asks partymen to not give room for 'betrayers'

Not only Srinivasan, but no party office bearer should also rake up the matter of chief ministerial candidate since the AIADMK's September 28 Executive Committee had ended the debate saying an announcement on it shall be made on October 7, Jayakumar said. Hence, till such time no one should comment about it, he said adding "rivals and betrayers" were waiting for an opportunity to target the AIADMK on this issue and no room should be given to them.

AIADMK leader and Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar on Thursday appealed to party office-bearers not to air any views on the chief ministerial choice of the party for the 2021 assembly polls considering its interests. A day after Forest Minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan said Chief Minister K Palaniswami would be the party nominee, Jayakumar said Sreenivasan was a party veteran and he had a lot of respect for him.

"He (Sreenivasan) is a senior man. I respect him. He is aware of party rules (apparently hinting that he should avoid expressing any view)," he told reporters when asked on the minister's comment. Not only Srinivasan, but no party office bearer should also rake up the matter of chief ministerial candidate since the AIADMK's September 28 Executive Committee had ended the debate saying an announcement on it shall be made on October 7, Jayakumar said.

Hence, till such time no one should comment about it, he said adding "rivals and betrayers" were waiting for an opportunity to target the AIADMK on this issue and no room should be given to them. "This is my appeal," he said and underscored the importance of unity in the party.

Asked about Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam holding discussions with party leaders amid claims of rift with Palaniswami, Jayakumar said there was nothing wrong in it since the deputy CM held the position of party coordinator. On whether the two top leaders would come forward to bury the hatchet, he said the question of reconciliation arose only if there was a disagreement.

"There was no fight in the first place and hence the question of ironing out differences does not arise," he said. Rivals and betrayers want the ruling AIADMK to encounter problems and their wishful thought would never come true, he asserted.

Party office-bearer JCD Prabhakar too said it was not appropriate for any party leader to comment on the matter since the official announcement was to be made on October 7. Panneerselvam, along with his cabinet colleagues Jayakumar and Culture Minister K Pandiarajan, participated in a government function here on Thursday to commemorate the 93rd birth anniversary celebrations of iconic yesteryear thespian Sivaji Ganesan.

Notably, the deputy chief minister did not take part in Palaniswami-chaired district collectors meet and another event. He had been keeping away from meetings headed by Palaniswami for the past couple of days after the two crossed swords at the executive committee meeting on who should lead the party in the next year's polls.