At a time when the three factions of the ruling AIADMK are fighting one another for control of the organisation, the party mouthpiece Dr. Namadhu MGR on Sunday republished a letter written by general secretary V.K. Sasikala (since jailed) on January 16 this year, appealing for unity. The party organ is under the control of the Sasikala family.
“Though our enemies have fallen by the wayside, they are waiting for a crack in the iron fort (AIADMK) so that they can stand with the help of a stick. The AIADMK is the third-largest political movement in the country and we should not allow any attempt to bring down its status,” she had said in her message to cadre in connection with the beginning of the centenary celebrations of party founder MGR.
Asked about the need for republishing the letter, Marudhu Azhagumuthu, the editor of the newspaper, said the objective was to remind the cadre and party functionaries about the importance of staying united.
“The government is organising functions to commemorate MGR’s birth centenary on its own. The first event on behalf of the party (which T.T.V. Dhinakaran would address) will be held at Melur in Madurai on August 14. So, we decided to publish the letter once again,” he said.
While the merger talks between the camps led by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam have failed to make meaningful progress so far, the ruling camp’s decision to distance itself from Mr. Dhinakaran is being seen by political observers as the first concrete step in the reunification exercise.