Confident that rival factions of AIADMK will re-unite: TN Forest Minister

Expressing confidence that the rival factions of the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu would re-unite, state Forest Minister C Sreenivasan on Wednesday told the Assembly that if there was a “separation among brothers”, it would be followed by a “coming together”.

Without naming the rival AIADMK factions or referring to the present limbo in the efforts for a patch-up between them, he quoted a song from a film starring AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran, ‘Urimaikural’, to express his confidence that the ties would revive.

The gist of the song is if there is a separation among brothers, their relationship would revive again. Sreenivasan, the next-in-command to Chief Minister E K Palaniswami in the government, said they were all identified with MGR and groomed by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

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He said Palaniswami had taken up the responsibility of “steering this family”, a remark seen as a reference to the government as also the ruling party. “We are working with him as colleagues and brothers,” said Sreenivasan.

Subsequently, the minister started giving his reply to the discussion on the demands for grants for his department. Though rebel leader O Panneerselvam had, a few days ago, disbanded a panel which was set up to facilitate the merger of the two factions saying that the people were not in favour of their unification, the ruling AIADMK Amma faction, led by the chief minister, had asked him to reconsider the decision.

AIADMK deputy general secretary T T V Dhinakaran had also expressed hope that Panneerselvam would review his stand and join them.

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