Ready to talk with Panneerselvam camp for AIADMK merger: Thambidurai

Chennai: Senior AIADMK Amma leader M Thambidurai on Monday said the Dhinakaran faction was ready to hold talks with the Panneerselvam camp so as to work for the merger of the two factions.

"Those who left due to differences... let them come, we are ready to talk," he told reporters in Chennai.

He was replying to a question about rival group leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam earlier in the day expressing confidence about the scope for merger talks.

Asked if this can be taken as an invite to Panneerselvam, Thambidurai, who is the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, said, "It is not an invite, I do not have that authority, I am only answering your question."

Repeatedly asserting that "all are united," and there was "no split" in the party, he said there may be differences in a democracy and it should be addressed.

Stating that all the leaders, including him and Panneerselvam, were elected on the 'two leaves' symbol of AIADMK, he emphasised that it was the collective responsibility of all party men to continue the regime of 'Amma' (late chief minister Jayalalithaa).

Thambidurai, who earlier called on Chief Minister K Palaniswami at the Secretariat, said, "We will get back the 'two leaves' symbol and to get that we will function unitedly."

He said there was no question of state Health Minister C Vijayabasakar, who was recently raided by the Income Tax department, being eased out of the cabinet.

He said Amma regime should continue and for that "All should give their support," adding "it is important to retain the government and all MLAs are united."

Denying that the party symbol had been frozen, he said it was applicable only for the bypoll which had been cancelled.

"To freeze a symbol, there should be a split...comprising exit of two-thirds of partymen including MPs...there is no such split," he added.