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Shanmugam said EPS dismissed internal suggestions and relied on a survey that predicted a win for the AIADMK.
AIADMK senior leaders SP Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam address a press conference in Chennai. (PTI photo)
Rebel AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam on Wednesday hit out at party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), claiming he ignored repeated advice from senior leaders to align with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) before the elections.
Speaking to reporters after being removed from his party post, Shanmugam said EPS dismissed internal suggestions and relied on a survey that predicted a win for the AIADMK.
“When we shared our opinion that we should join hands with TVK before elections, he did not listen to us. He asked us — ‘What do you know, brother? I know. I have taken survey. We will win 200 seats.’ None of us till date have seen the survey he was referring to,” Shanmugam said.
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His remarks came amid deepening turmoil within the AIADMK after Palaniswami expelled several rebel leaders, including MLAs SP Velumani, C Ve Shanmugam and C Vijayabaskar, from party posts for defying the leadership during the Assembly confidence motion earlier in the day.
The disciplinary action followed a dramatic floor test in which 25 AIADMK legislators belonging to the Velumani-Shanmugam faction voted in favour of the TVK government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.
In a statement, Palaniswami announced the removal of 26 leaders from all party posts with immediate effect and appointed new district secretaries in their place.
However, Shanmugam rejected the action as “invalid” and accused EPS of running the party in an authoritarian manner. “He (EPS) has no power to sack us from party positions. This removal is not valid. He has no power. Nobody can stop us from attending the general body meeting of AIADMK,” he said.
The senior leader further alleged that Palaniswami had weakened the party by repeatedly expelling anyone who questioned his decisions instead of holding discussions to strengthen the organisation.
“If we did anything wrong, as the General Secretary of the party, he (EPS) should have talked to us and made the party grow further. But Edappadi Palaniswami, in his four years as General Secretary, had only work – sacking from the party and party posts,” Shanmugam added.
(With inputs from PTI)
Tamil Nadu, India, India
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