CHENNAI: Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah at New Delhi on Tuesday and discussed a variety of issues relating to the states though it was termed as a ‘courtesy call’ devoid of any political talk.
Palaniswami, who had left for New Delhi on Monday, returned after the meeting with Shah, which is seen as the BJP, an ally of the AIADMK, acknowledging him as the leader of the party even as the tussle over the leadership issue continued to drag on with litigation pending in the Supreme Court.
Though the BJP was initially maintaining a equidistance between the two rival factions, one led by Palaniswami and the other by his bete noire Panneerselvam, it had now seemingly started favouring the Palaniswami camp, probably in the backdrop of the victories he had in the various courts and other forum.
Stepping out of the Home Minister’s office, Palaniswami told the media that he discussed the expedition of the two projects - linking of the Cauvery and Godhavari rivers and the implementation of the Nadanthai Vaazhi Cauvery project — initiated during the AIADMK regime.
He also complained to the Union Home Minister about the breakdown in law and order in Tamil Nadu, where narcotic sales had touched a new high and corruption was at its peak in all departments.
Palaniswami, however, refused to speak on his clash with Panneerselvam and said that the cases were pending in court.
The purpose of his visit to Delhi was to convince the Election Commission of India that his faction was the real AIADMK and that the party symbol ‘two leaves’ should be only allotted to them and produce evidence to prove his point.
Though Palaniswami has been elected as interim general secretary of the AIADMK, emerging as the ‘single leader’ as per the demands raised by many in the party, he had the onerous task of getting elected as the general secretary.
Since the party constitution mandates the election of the general secretary by the primary members, he has to find ways to conduct the election enabling all the primary members to cast their vote or getting elected unanimously without contest.
So, to pull it off, Palaniswami had to reach out to a lot of cadre, leaders and functionaries within the short span of time left for him.
When a question was raised about Panneerselvam going on a tour of the State, he snapped that he had already done that and that the question should be posed to his rival.
