Palaniswami chairs crucial AIADMK office-bearers meet amidst challenge from rebels

A few could not attend as they were not able to arrive at the party headquarters on time, Ramana told reporters, emerging from the meeting.Another senior leader, V V Rajan Chellappa, said the AIADMK has resolved to strive unitedly under the leadership of Palaniswami with unwavering dedication.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday chaired a meeting of frontline office bearers of the party, including district secretaries, against the background of demand from rebels, who have extended support to the TVK government, to convene the general council meeting.

The meeting, held for nearly two hours, was attended by about 80 district secretaries, former minister B V Ramana said. All the office bearers and cadres solidly stand with Palaniswami, and the party would work out a strategy to emerge victorious in the coming days.

''Over 80 district secretaries attended the meeting. A few could not attend as they were not able to arrive at the party headquarters on time,'' Ramana told reporters, emerging from the meeting.

Another senior leader, V V Rajan Chellappa, said the AIADMK has resolved to strive unitedly under the leadership of Palaniswami with unwavering dedication. ''We will be steadfast in extending our full support and cooperation to strengthen the hands of our general secretary,'' Chellappa said on 'X.'.

Meanwhile, AIADMK Praesidium Chairman, Tamilmagan Hussain, also extended his support to Palaniswami.

The former chief minister extended an olive branch to dissenters on May 18 by asking them not to become fireflies, and began hearing the views of the top party functionaries at the party headquarters.

He had earlier announced that the meeting would be held at his Greenways Road residence here.

However, he arrived at the party headquarters accompanied by his followers.

The top AIADMK leader had replaced the secretaries of 26 districts, including 12 legislators who voted in favour of the TVK government during the floor test on May 13.

The breakaway group led by former state ministers, including C Ve Shanmugam, S P Velumani and Dr C Vijayabaskar, who have been stripped of their party posts, are gearing up to convene the general council meeting, seeking to completely back Vijay-led TVK government, a move staunchly opposed by Palaniswami.

Accusing the troika -- Shanmugam, Velumani and Vijayabaskar -- of supporting the TVK government to get ministerial berths in return, former state minister R B Udayakumar, supporting Palaniswami, said, ''The minister post is a recognition given by the party leadership based on our performance. I see it this way.''.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Palaniswami called upon the party members to strive unitedly for the party's victory in the future. ''Victory or defeat in an election is natural. We won 47 seats (in the April 23 Assembly election). People gave an unexpected verdict without favouring any single party with an absolute majority. Our leader urged us to remain together and be confident of the AIADMK returning to the helm,'' Udhayakumar said.

O S Manian, a senior leader, said the meeting did not discuss Vijayabaskar's claim on obtaining signatures from 1,000 party members seeking the conduct of a general council meeting to discuss the poll debacle and take a ''good decision.''.

To a question on the next plan of action, Manian replied ''Our general secretary will decide.''