Either I am CM or...: Rebel AIADMK leader claims EPS rejected Dalit CM proposal
AIADMK rebel C Ve Shanmugam claimed the DMK proposed Thol Thirumavalavan as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. He said the move could have produced the state's first Dalit Chief Minister, but alleged EPS refused it.
A rebel leader of the AIADMK on Wednesday claimed that the DMK had proposed making VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, which would have made him the state’s first Dalit CM, but alleged that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami rejected the proposal.
Speaking after the floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, rebel AIADMK leader and faction head C Ve Shanmugam said Tamil Nadu had got an “extremely rare chance” and an “unimaginable, impossible chance” for “someone from the Scheduled Caste community to become Chief Minister.”
Shanmugam claimed that the DMK and Left parties proposed extending support to Thirumavalavan as Chief Minister, with ministers from both the DMK and AIADMK in the government.
“We said while we can’t go with DMK, we can do it with Thiruma. But EPS said it cannot be accepted as it would become a VCK government. Either I am CM or I will act as Opposition. Those were the same words he used,” Shanmugam alleged.
The rebel leader also defended the faction’s decision to support the TVK government led by actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay during the floor test.
On Wednesday, 25 AIADMK MLAs backing Shanmugam and senior leader SP Velumani voted in favour of the government, helping the TVK government improve its tally to 144 in the 234-member Assembly. The DMK walked out of the House, the PMK abstained and the lone BJP MLA remained neutral. Twenty-one AIADMK MLAs loyal to Palaniswami, along with the AIADMK chief himself, voted against the government.
Shanmugam rejected Palaniswami’s allegation that the rebel MLAs supported the TVK government in return for ministerial berths.
“His claim is totally false and there is no truth in it. We supported the government since both AIADMK and TVK have the same ideology; to oppose DMK,” he said.
He added that the AIADMK was founded by late chief minister MG Ramachandran to “uproot the DMK.”
Questioning Palaniswami’s leadership, Shanmugam said the AIADMK should have convened a legislature party meeting before electing its leader, deputy leader and whip.
“Can he show a copy of the resolution of the meeting? Can he provide information about when the legislature party meeting was held and at what time?” he asked.
Shanmugam further claimed that Palaniswami visited the Puducherry resort where AIADMK MLAs were staying last week when the TVK was trying to form the government and collected signatures from legislators separately.
“He said he had already spoken with the high level and the DMK would extend outside support to our party, that he will be the Chief Minister and our party would get several minister posts,” Shanmugam alleged.
He also claimed that two senior DMK ministers contacted Palaniswami over the phone and congratulated him for extending support, while assuring him of a ministerial berth.
“I was totally surprised and could not imagine accepting this offer. Even my family will not accept this,” he said.
Shanmugam also attacked Palaniswami over the AIADMK’s electoral performance, alleging that the party had lost four consecutive elections under his leadership and that he never took responsibility for the defeats.
Senior AIADMK leader SP Velumani echoed similar views and said the rebel faction’s primary objective was to defeat the DMK.
“Our motive is to defeat the DMK. Our party and TVK have the same principles. Therefore, we have supported it,” Velumani said.
He also denied any split in the AIADMK and called for an immediate general council meeting to decide the party’s future course.
“There is no split in the party. We have to convene the party’s general council meeting immediately to decide the future success of the AIADMK,” he added.
A rebel leader of the AIADMK on Wednesday claimed that the DMK had proposed making VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, which would have made him the state’s first Dalit CM, but alleged that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami rejected the proposal.
Speaking after the floor test in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, rebel AIADMK leader and faction head C Ve Shanmugam said Tamil Nadu had got an “extremely rare chance” and an “unimaginable, impossible chance” for “someone from the Scheduled Caste community to become Chief Minister.”
Shanmugam claimed that the DMK and Left parties proposed extending support to Thirumavalavan as Chief Minister, with ministers from both the DMK and AIADMK in the government.
“We said while we can’t go with DMK, we can do it with Thiruma. But EPS said it cannot be accepted as it would become a VCK government. Either I am CM or I will act as Opposition. Those were the same words he used,” Shanmugam alleged.
The rebel leader also defended the faction’s decision to support the TVK government led by actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay during the floor test.
On Wednesday, 25 AIADMK MLAs backing Shanmugam and senior leader SP Velumani voted in favour of the government, helping the TVK government improve its tally to 144 in the 234-member Assembly. The DMK walked out of the House, the PMK abstained and the lone BJP MLA remained neutral. Twenty-one AIADMK MLAs loyal to Palaniswami, along with the AIADMK chief himself, voted against the government.
Shanmugam rejected Palaniswami’s allegation that the rebel MLAs supported the TVK government in return for ministerial berths.
“His claim is totally false and there is no truth in it. We supported the government since both AIADMK and TVK have the same ideology; to oppose DMK,” he said.
He added that the AIADMK was founded by late chief minister MG Ramachandran to “uproot the DMK.”
Questioning Palaniswami’s leadership, Shanmugam said the AIADMK should have convened a legislature party meeting before electing its leader, deputy leader and whip.
“Can he show a copy of the resolution of the meeting? Can he provide information about when the legislature party meeting was held and at what time?” he asked.
Shanmugam further claimed that Palaniswami visited the Puducherry resort where AIADMK MLAs were staying last week when the TVK was trying to form the government and collected signatures from legislators separately.
“He said he had already spoken with the high level and the DMK would extend outside support to our party, that he will be the Chief Minister and our party would get several minister posts,” Shanmugam alleged.
He also claimed that two senior DMK ministers contacted Palaniswami over the phone and congratulated him for extending support, while assuring him of a ministerial berth.
“I was totally surprised and could not imagine accepting this offer. Even my family will not accept this,” he said.
Shanmugam also attacked Palaniswami over the AIADMK’s electoral performance, alleging that the party had lost four consecutive elections under his leadership and that he never took responsibility for the defeats.
Senior AIADMK leader SP Velumani echoed similar views and said the rebel faction’s primary objective was to defeat the DMK.
“Our motive is to defeat the DMK. Our party and TVK have the same principles. Therefore, we have supported it,” Velumani said.
He also denied any split in the AIADMK and called for an immediate general council meeting to decide the party’s future course.
“There is no split in the party. We have to convene the party’s general council meeting immediately to decide the future success of the AIADMK,” he added.
