DMK our 'sole enemy,' ready to join hands with any like-minded party, says Palaniswami

Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu): The DMK was AIADMK's "sole enemy" and the latter was ready to join hands with any like-minded party for an alliance, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami said here on Thursday.

Palaniswami, whose recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shas has sparked off speculations of an AIADMK-BJP alliance, however said electoral pacts are only firmed up ahead of the hustings. Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are slated about 11 months from now, he told reporters here.

Responding to reporters' queries on expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam's (OPS) comments on the possibility of his re-induction in the AIADMK, Palaniswami asserted that his former colleague did not deserve a place in the party.

Answering queries on alliance, he pointed out that the polls are slated next year and that "we will certainly inform media when alliance is formed." "As far as the AIADMK is concerned, nobody other than DMK is an enemy for us. During election time, we will join hands with all like-minded parties," the former chief minister said.

To a question on his meeting with Amit Shah in New Delhi two days ago, Palaniswami reiterated he had taken up issues concerning Tamil Nadu, such as the need to release pending Central funds, including for MGNREGA.

He had also taken up the 2-language policy, which has been AIADMK's stand since the days of Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai and late AIADMK veterans and former CMs, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, the Leader of Opposition said.

"We insisted (to Shah) that the 2-language policy should continue in Tamil Nadu," he added.

To a question on the Delhi visit of TN BJP chief K Annamalai, coming two days after the Shah-EPS meet, Palaniswami said the question should be posed to the former.

On OPS' re-induction, he ruled out any such possibility.

"It is not possible at all....pirinthathu pirinthathu dan (once split, split forever)..we cannot tolerate them (Panneerselvam and aides) pawning the party to the enemies," the former chief minister said.

"Under his leadership, rowdies attacked the party headquarters in Chennai (in 2022), which is a temple for the AIADMK worker. He has no qualification to be in the AIADMK....there is no chance of taking him back in the party," Palaniswami asserted.

After losing the 2021 Assembly polls, Palaniswami (EPS) and Panneerselvam were involved in a leadership tussle, before the former successfully took total control of the party.

The AIADMK's top decision-making body expelled Panneerselvam and his supporters in July 2022.