O.Panneerselvam has sent a message to Edappadi Palaniswami after the AIADMK suffered a crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. O. Panneerselvam has called AIADMK to unite.
In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK suffered a crushing defeat. Although the AIADMK has gone through many political changes since the demise of Jayalalithaa, the breaking of the alliance with the BJP was seen as the biggest turning point. OPS and DTV Dhinakaran formed an alliance with the BJP and contested.
AIADMK entered the Lok Sabha elections in alliance with DMDK, New Tamil Nadu and STBI. While AIADMK contested directly in 33 constituencies, the two parties namely New Tamil Nadu and STPI contested on the double leaf symbol. DMK contested in 5 constituencies. AIADMK directly clashed with DMK in a total of 20 constituencies.
AIADMK lost: 6 seats to Congress, 2 seats each to VSK, CPI, CPM and 1 seat each to MDMK and IUML. But AIADMK has been defeated everywhere. The main opposition party in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK, pushed the BJP to the third position in 6 constituencies namely Madurai, South Chennai, Vellore, Nellai, Nilgiris and Coimbatore.
Similarly, AIADMK was relegated to the 3rd position in Dharmapuri as the BAM took the 2nd position. Similarly, O. Panneerselvam who contested in Ramanathapuram and TTV Dhinakaran who contested in Theni came second behind AIADMK. Naam Tamilar Party pushed AIADMK to fourth place in Kanyakumari and Puducherry.
Also, ADMK candidates have lost their deposit in 7 Lok Sabha constituencies namely South Chennai, Kanyakumari, Nellai, Thoothukudi, Theni, Vellore and Ramanathapuram as they did not get even one-sixth of the votes. While AIADMK won 1 constituency in the last 2019 elections, now it is reduced to a position where it cannot win even a single constituency.
AIADMK lost to OPS, Dhinakaran: On the other hand, O. Panneerselvam lost as an independent in the BJP alliance in Ramanathapuram constituency. There AIADMK is ranked 3rd. DTV Dhinakaran, general secretary of AAMUK who contested from Theni, came 2nd. AIADMK was relegated to the 3rd place there as well.
AIADMK has faced defeat in 9 elections in a row, the voices insisting on AIADMK unity have become stronger. Sasikala, KC Palaniswami and Pugazendi, who were expelled from AIADMK by Edappadi Palaniswami, voiced that AIADMK should unite.
OPS Chamber Call: In this context, O. Panneerselvam, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the coordinator of the AIADMK Volunteers Rights Recovery Committee, has called on the AIADMK to unite and prepare for any sacrifice to restore the party.
In a statement issued by O Panneerselvam, “It is a call to restore the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam started by MGR and built by Jayalalithaa through unity. It is easy to break a single stick, but it is difficult to break a stick. It is a sin to accustom the volunteers to defeat by saying peace.”
Let’s take MGR’s words as a medicine: “All those who came from their mother’s path, if we stay on one path and follow the right path, tomorrow will be ours.” We will see one and a half crore volunteers unite to make our victory historic tomorrow. O. Panneerselvam has said that we will be ready for any sacrifice to restore the party that Jayalalithaa placed at the top and the government that she handed over through unity.
Sasikala’s call: “If Uru Rendu Pattala is a story of celebration for Koothadi, this can be seen as a victory that DMK took advantage of the divisions in our movement and won it cold. I have been patient for so long with the sole thought that this movement should never fail.”
I made great efforts to consolidate the AIADMK. I can no longer be amused by the destruction of the movement because of the personal preferences and hatreds of a few. It is very painful to lose the recognition as the third largest party in India and to be relegated to the fourth and third place in a few seats in the parliamentary elections that took place today.
The movement has never seen such series of defeats. There is no benefit to anyone if they are doing separate avarthanam. Everyone should come to unite the party. “If we are united, no one can bring us down,” Sasikala said yesterday.
After the AIADMK debacle, the calls for a merger of the AIADMK have become stronger again. OPS has said that he is ready to make any sacrifice to restore the unity of the party. OPS, will Edappadi Palaniswami accept Sasikala’s call? The AIADMK leaders know what they will decide.
