Chennai: The AIADMK on Saturday rejected reports of rift in the party and jockeying for the top post of General Secretary held by the late J Jayalalithaa and said election will take place soon to choose her successor, amid speculation that Sasikala was the front-runner.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Organisational Secretary C Ponnaiyan also strongly defended Jayalalithaa’s aide Sasikala, saying there is nothing wrong in its leaders, including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, calling on her as she is a key member.
“The party high command has taken a decision to elect a General Secretary and the election will happen soon,” he told reporters.
To a question related to state ministers’ recent meetings with Sasikala, he said, “Even if somebody (belonging to the party) met Sasikala Amma, what is wrong in it? Is she not an important member of the party? What you say is wrong.”
Asked about reported competition for the post of General Secretary, Ponnaiyan said he had already clarified that such reports were just rumours.
“There is no such thing like competition or problems There is nothing like this or that person competing (for the top post),” he said, adding AIADMK was a united party which had been built like a fortress by ‘Amma’.
On a query about the role of Sasikala’s husband Natarajan and other family members in the party, he said “this is an unnecessary question. The party is led and guarded by over 1.5 crore members.”
Drawing a distinction between the government led by the AIADMK and the party organisation, he said that while the government was led by O Panneerselvam, the party was steered by elected bodies.
“AIADMK is steered by party bodies, including general and executive committees and functionaries at multiple levels and Sasikala is a key member,” Ponnaiyan, who is also the party spokesperson, said.
“Sasikala Amma lived with Puratchi Thalaivi Amma’s (‘revolutionary leader’ Jayalalithaa’s) last breath. Such questions are unnecessary.”
Asked who the chief minister, ministers and other top officials were consulting at the Poes Garden residence of the departed AIADMK supremo, and if it was Sasikala, he said, “They are having a meeting with the Chief Minister there.”
“It (Veda Nilayam at Poes Garden) is Amma’s house where Amma’s portrait is kept. We are in mourning and it is still not over. They are going there (also) to pay homage. It is not good to invent reasons for everything.
“The party will soon elect a General Secretary who will guard the party and cadres, who follow the footsteps of Amma and the Tamil Nadu people with godly devotion,” he added.
On the reported anger among some cadres against Sasikala as access was not provided to anyone to visit Jayalalithaa during her hospitalisation, he said, “It is a planted rumour and being spread wantonly.”
Ponnaiyan alleged some people were propagating several “rumours” and “falsehoods” through a section of the media about who will be the next general secretary of the party.
“News being spread that this or that person may become the general secretary are all only rumours. There is no truth in it,” he said, adding there is no “jealousy” or “competition” in AIADMK, which is like a fortress and stayed united.
Ponnaiyan said AIADMK is an ideological fort with a boundless sense of unity and there was no room for questions over who would be the general secretary. “Only rumours are being spread and I am making this clear to you,” he said.
He said though Jayalalithaa was no more, “Amma (mother, as she was fondly referred to by party cadres) continued to live as God” for them.
She had built the AIADMK as a “big banyan tree” infusing discipline and a sense of unity, he said.
Asked if there was a void in AIADMK in view of Jayalalithaa’s demise, he said, “As long as the ‘atma’ (soul) of MGR and that of Puratchi Thalaivi guard this party, there is no scope for saying that there is a void.”
On the claim that the absence of a second rung leadership was responsible for the present void, he said, “Why should you think that? There is no such thing like an atmosphere of void.
“In this party, each and every cadre is a leader. Amma made ordinary workers as MLAs and Ministers. This is a party of workers, built by them and this is the philosophy of Amma which is being followed.”
