AIADMK 'usurped' by Palaniswami, claims Panneerselvam

Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Mar 7 (PTI) AIADMK under the present leadership was not the party that was once nurtured by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, but has been "usurped" by Edappadi K Palaniswami, O Panneerselvam who has joined the DMK, claimed on Saturday.

Palaniswami altered the party bylaws laid down by founder M G Ramachandran and "snatched away" the party members' rights. He was keen only on sustaining himself, Panneerselvam alleged.

"The present AIADMK is going against the Dravidian principles and social justice policy of former Chief Minister C N Annadurai. Realising that continuing in AIADMK would be against self-respect, I decided to join the DMK, accepting the leadership of M K Stalin," the former Chief Minister said.

Panneerselvam and his son O P Ravindranath joined the DMK in the presence of its president and Chief Minister M K Stalin in Chennai on February 27.

He hailed Stalin as "king of victory" and said he felt proud of merging his AIADMK workers' rights retrieval committee with the DMK today.

Speaking at a function held in Thirumangalam where his supporters joined the DMK in the presence of Stalin, Panneerselvam said "Palaniswami will be defeated in the upcoming Assembly election." PTI JSP VGN JSP ROH