Senior AIADMK leader and former Minister S. Semmalai, MLA, met Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday and urged him to hold discussion with the MLAs supporting sidelined party leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran to win over them for the continuance of the AIADMK regime without any hitch.
Mr. Semmalai, who was with the O. Panneerselvam camp, was initially upset at being denied a berth in the cabinet following the merger of the AIADMK Amma and PTA factions.
Consequently, he had boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of Mr. Panneerselvam as Deputy Chief Minister and had also desisted from making a courtesy call on the Chief Minister during the latter’s maiden visit to Salem after the merger of both the factions on August 27.
Earlier, when the merger talks were in progress, the Salem district unit of the AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma), led by Mr. Semmalai, openly opposed the merger.
Move to earn support
The Dhinakaran camp, which did not enjoy a support base in this region, tried to take advantage of the reported “ego clash” between Mr. Semmalai and Mr. Palaniswami by wooing the former.
S. K. Selvam, former MLA and former district secretary, who was made the Salem rural district secretary of the party replacing Mr. Palaniswami openly said that Semmalai will soon join their side.
However, on Wednesday, Mr. Semmalai sprang a surprise by calling on the Chief Minister at his residence in the Highways Colony in Salem city and presenting him a bouquet.
A few other former legislators who had opposed Mr. Palaniswami too accompanied Mr. Semmalai.