Convene meeting in a week, MLAs tell Tamil Nadu CM

Chennai: A group of AIADMK (Amma) MLAs, who met Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami on Monday, gave him one week ultimatum to convene the meeting of party MLAs to discuss various issues including merger.

Three former ministers 'Thoppu' N. Venkatchalam, V. Senthil Balaji and P. Palaniappan, along with eight MLAs met the Chief Minister and discussed various issues for about an hour.

Venkatachalam said they discussed constituency problems with the Chief Minister and complained that they were unable the solve the issues in their constituencies. Another participant said they wanted MLAs meeting to discuss problems in the merger of the two AIADMK groups and expressed their dissatisfaction over lack of transparency in the merger talks.

He also said the meeting is also needed to discuss the measures taken by the party in retrieving the 'two leaves' symbol. The MLAs also wanted to question about the plans to build a memorial for former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. He also charged the leadership with not celebrating the birth centenary of party founder MGR in a grand manner and asked what prevented them from doing so.
Meanwhile, a group of MLAs who met party general secretary V.K. Sasikala said she wanted the party to remain united and stay in power.

On the comments of AIADMK (PTA) MP Maitreyan that how could the MLAs meet Sasikala, one of the MLAs Thanga Thamizh Selvan said Maitreyan had no locus standi to question them since he migrated from the BJP to the AIADMK and working for an alliance with the saffron party.  Sasikala also wanted the birth centenary of MGR to be celebrated in a grand manner, he said. Besides, Thanga Thamizh Selvan, MLAs Subramanian, Vetrivel, Maragadham and MP Vigila Sathyanand had also met Sasikala.

Another group of about 15 MLAs have conducted a separate meeting, while about 16 Dalit MLAs are functioning separately under Perambalur MLA R. Thamizhselvan.