CHENNAI: Support continued to pour in for caretaker Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam for the second day on Thursday and top leaders in the AIADMK extended their support to him, while public continued to throng his official residence where the slogan “OPS for CM” grew louder. AIADMK presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan, who is number 2 in the party, was among the prominent personalities, who conveyed his support in person. Calling on Panneerselvam at the latter’s Greenways Road residence, Madhusudhanan said, “in order to protect the AIADMK, everybody should join hands with OPS (Mr. Panneerselvam).”
He did not want the party to go into the hands of a single family,. Madhusudhanan, flanked by Panneerselvam and party’s Rajya Sabha MP V. Maithreyan, said, amidst a celebratory mood of the crowd that had gathered. “We welcome him with gratitude,” a visibly jubilant Pannerselvam said and hailed Madhusudhanan as a tall leader who had worked for the party since the founding days of AIADMK alongside its founder M. G. Ramachandran.
The chairman presidium later accompanied the Chief Minister to the Raj Bhavan. Quoting apopular Tamil verse of nationalist poet Subramanya Bharathi, Panneerselvam said, though dharma could be eclipsed by intrigue, it would be dharma, which will triumph ultimately. After his Tuesday’s Marina meditation, Panneerselvam had said “after Amma died, they (V. K. Sasikala camp) said Madhusudhan will become the general secretary. I agreed to become the Chief Minister only when they said Madhusudhan will become the general secretary.” He claimed thaa Madhusudhan was threatened and pressurised not to take up the post.
A former party Parliamentarian K. C. Palaniswamy said that the AIADMK is now under the control of Tamil Nadu caretaker Chief Minister. Several leaders, including Maithreyan, former power minister Natham Viswanathan and former local administration Minister K. P. Munusamy were among those who welcomed Madusudanan, were among Panneerselvam’s expanding flock.
