Against the backdrop of a recent debate over the Chief Ministerial candidate for the 2021 Assembly elections, Panneerselvam said "Our goal should be to return to power in 2021.

Let bygones be bygones. Let the things to come be good." The deputy chief minister, in an interaction with party functionaries here, advised them to work with a sense of unity overcoming all divides, be it caste, religion or any other thing. The stellar work of AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for the growth of the party should always be remembered and the experience of past elections would come in handy for them, he said.

Functionaries and workers should always be faithful to only the party and "at no point of time had I persuaded loyalty to me," he stressed. Recently, Cooperative Minister Sellur Raju had said that elected MLAs would pick the Chief Minister following elections next year, while Dairy Development Minister K T Rajenthra Bhalaji had pitched for incumbent Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

Also, posters had appeared that clamoured 'OPS for CM' and the row ended with a joint statement from Panneerselvam, party coordinator, the numero uno party post and K Palaniswami who is the co-coordinator, asking cadres to work unitedly. On August 15, the duo said all important policy decisions like the one related to the CM choice would be taken democratically.