Former chief minister O Panneerselvam and V K Sasiskala.
Amidst the speculation that the two factions of the AIADMK would merge and would be joining the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government, a senior party leader ruled out the possibility saying “nothing will happen before 2019 Lok Sabha polls”. “They are just rumours,” V Maitreyan, a senior party leader in the O Panneerselvam camp, told The Indian Express. “Nothing is going to happen before 2019 polls. Prime Minister Modi may expand his cabinet soon, but AIADMK will not be a part of it,” Maitreyan, a Rajya Sabha MP said.
He said there is no possibility of two factions led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam and the other by party chief V K Sasikala – merging together despite some news reports stating so. Both factions of the AIADMK have been supporting the BJP and the NDA in most of the political decisions in the recent past. They backed NDA’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind and announced their backing for its vice-presidential candidate M Venkaiah Naidu.
“Beggars cannot be choosers. Why should BJP want us in government when we support them on every issue,” asked an AIADMK leader.
According to Maitreyan, the BJP does not seem to be in a hurry to get the AIADMK inducted into the cabinet. BJP sources said the party may consider getting them inducted into the NDA in future, but does not see any urgency for the move.
